Horrifying moment hoverboard-riding circus bear turns on handler in front of audience in Russia
This is the terrifying moment a circus bear on a hoverboard attacks a trainer in front of hundreds of children and parents in Russia.
The photo shows the ferocious female beast knocking 48-year-old Sergei Prichinich to the ground and pinning him to the ground after he rode a hoverboard in Biysk, Russia.
The circus performer tried to break free as the angry brown bear Donut – who weighed 50 pounds (23 kilograms) – gnawed on the stick he held in his hand to keep her under control.
A circus director poked the predator with another stick, through the barrier that separated the audience from the ring.
The beast eventually moved away enough for the performer to stand up, as alarmed onlookers watched in horror. The incident could have been fatal for the trainer, but he remained calm.
Footage shows the enraged female beast riding a hoverboard before carrying out an attack
Hundreds of parents and children in the audience then watched as the bear ran toward the tamer
The bear can be seen knocking 48-year-old tamer Sergei Prichinich to the ground and pinning him down
Amazingly, the bear seemed to lose her aggression in an instant and obediently walked along with Prichinich as if nothing had happened.
Reports say the trainer was rushed to hospital, but the circus denies this.
“The performance went ahead as planned,” said a circus spokesperson.
Nikita Mikhailov, head of the Moretti Circus, later said: “Towards the end of the performance the bear snapped at Sergei and began to wrestle with him.”
He ‘didn’t resist on purpose’ and ‘waited for the bear to calm down, got up, continued the routine with her, sealed it all with a kiss and that was it — the show went on as usual’.
He said neither the trainer nor the bear were injured.
“This is an animal, and they can behave differently, they can not like something, they can express their emotions in this way. Any trainer understands that,” he said.
It follows disturbing footage capturing the horrific moment two bears are forced to kick each other on their hind legs in front of a laughing audience at a cruel Russian circus.
The terrifying moment a female bear attacks her trainer during a Russian circus performance
The incident could have been fatal for the coach, but he remained calm
A circus spokesman said the performance went ahead despite the attack
Reports said the trainer was rushed to hospital, but this was denied by the circus.
Amazingly it was a lucky escape for Prichinich who got back on his feet and finished the performance after the fierce attack
The wild animals, taken from their natural habitat, are seen in shocking videos shared online, dressed in shorts and boxing gloves.
The animals are forced to perform in boxing rings under fluorescent lights before large, noisy audiences in Black Sea resorts such as Sochi.
Russian animal rights activist Yuri Koretskikh is calling for a ban on live animals in circuses.
“While modern circus art is rapidly moving towards humanity and banning the use of animals in circuses, the Russian circus lobby is actively opposing this progress and defending its commercial interests,” he said.
Yet recent polls show that the majority of respondents ‘no longer want animals to suffer in circuses’.