A church leader had his buttocks mauled by a lion after running towards a pride in a bid to prove the 'Lord's power over animals'.

Alec Ndiwane, a Zion Christian Church prophet, was attacked on a safari while trying to show that God would save him in front of fellow church members.

He is said to have fallen into a trance and started speaking in tongues before charging at a pride of lions feeding on an impala in South Africa's Kruger National Park.

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No divine intervention: A church leader had his buttocks mauled by a lion after running towards a pride in a bid to prove the 'Lord's power over animals' during a safari in South Africa's Kruger National Park (file picture)

But as Mr Ndiwane sprinted towards them, the lions immediately viewed him as prey and zeroed in.

Realising the Lord wasn't about to help, Mr Ndiwane fled back to the car, but not before one of the lions clamped down on his buttocks.

He was only saved from further injury or possible death when the game ranger fired shots to scare the lions off, it was reported by GhanaWeb.

He said: 'I do not know what came over me. I thought the Lord wanted to use me to show his power over animals.

'Is it not we were given dominion over all creatures of the earth.'

Mr Ndiwane was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery to stitch up his wounds and was later discharged.

Kruger National Park spokesman William Mabasa has said that park officials are not aware of any such incident taking place in the park. 'It would have been reported to us if any of our rangers had taken part in this incident as reported.'