Former Zimbabwe all-rounder Guy Whittall injured in deadly leopard attack

Former Zimbabwe all-rounder Guy Whittall got injured in a deadly leopard attack after which he underwent emergency surgery as he was airlifted from Buffalo Range, Zimbabwe.

Whittall, who represented Zimbabwe in 46 Tests and 147 ODIs between 1993 and 2003, was attacked by the perpetrator while he was trekking in the conservancy that he owns in the Humani region, as per reports from the Zimbabwe media.

The 51-year-old was accompanied by his loyal dog named Chikara, who also got a bit injured while trying to save him.

The incident took place after almost 11 years when Whittall woke up with an eight-foot and 165kg Nile crocodile sleeping right under his bed.

His wife, Hannah Stooks-Whittall, confirmed the incident in a Facebook post, accompanied by graphic pictures of Whittall being treated in the bush after sustaining cuts to his arms and legs, as well as a 5-inch gash to his head.

A later picture showed Whittall in hospital with his head heavily bandaged, but giving a thumbs-up to the camera. He lost "a lot of blood" in the attack, Hannah added, but his injuries might have been even more severe had it not been for his "faithful K9", Chikara, who helped to wrestle the leopard off him.

"Chikara [is] coming up tomorrow to the vet after being mauled by the leopard and getting the cat off Guy!" she wrote. "Very special boy.

"Guy and I are overwhelmed by the hundreds of messages of well-wishers after Guy's run in with a wounded leopard earlier today," she added. "We are very fortunate that he was stabilized at Hippo Clinic by wonderful staff. He was then Airlifted from Buffalo Range by Ace Ambulance to Harare, then transferred to Milton Park Hospital for treatment."

Whittall’s most memorable moment as a cricketer came in 1995 when he scored a century to help Zimbabwe register their first-ever victory against Pakistan at Harare.

However, in the same Test, his remarkable innings was overshadowed by the heroics of Grant Flower, unbeaten 201 runs, and Andy Flower, 156 runs, as the home side went on to win the match by an innings and 64 runs.

Whittall's post-cricket career hit the headlines again in 2013 after he discovered an eight-foot, 165kg Nile crocodile had made its way from the nearby Turgwe river into his bedroom at the game reserve and spent the night there.

Speaking at the time, Whittall recalled how he had dangled his feet over the side of the bed before leaving the room, and had only been alerted to the intruder by the terrified screams of the housemaid.

"He really is one lucky man," Hannah told MailOnline. "First he had the crocodile and now the leopard, he really is the cat with nine lives