A circus trainer has been attacked by a 600lbs black bear during a performance after he forced the animal to push a wheelbarrow around like a human.
The bear suddenly snapped and turned on one of the circus trainers on stage. Kids can be heard screaming in fear during the incident in Russia as the other trainer tried to distract the bear.
The trainer led the heavy animal to the side of the ring but it quickly turned around and pinned him to the ground.
The circus has no barrier around the ring and the viewers screamed and ran for the exit. The trainer was injured but no further details have been confirmed yet.
Mother-of-one, Galina Gurieva, said: “My knees are still trembling. I was shocked there was no fence for the safety of spectators, given the size of the bear.”
One also said: “At first, for a few seconds, while recording the video, everyone thought it was a script. But when the assistant started kicking the bear and pulled out the shocker, the panic started. People got up and ran to the exit.”
Another viewer said: “It was an enormous bear, and they lost control of him.”
It is believed that the brown bear is the main attraction of the circus. The show was named ‘Bow-legged and the Wheelbarrow.’
Local safety officials and authorities have launched an investigation into the case.
Circus trainers and animals have clashed before. In April this year, a lion suddenly attacked its trainer in front of parents and children.
People screamed as Hamada Kouta, a popular performer, was overpowered by the lion, which clawed him and sank its teeth into his arm.
Despite growing campaigns for bans on animal shows, traveling circuses with live animal performances are still popular in Russia.
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