A circus act involving a live bear in Russia went horribly awry last month, as the wild animal suddenly snapped and attacked its trainer right in the middle of the show, as the audience including children watched. But thankfully, neither the trainer or bear were seriously injured.
The incident occurred back on Aug. 23 in a touring circus near a shopping center. In video that has been circulating online, the trainer, Sergei Prichinich, can be seen leading the 500-pound female bear named “Donut” around on a hoverboard when it suddenly charged at him, tackling him to the ground. The bear then climbed on top of Prichinich and attempted to bite him, at one point shaking him violently.
Thankfully, Prichinich was able to fend off the bear’s attacks with his baton, until another circus employee standing outside of the cage reportedly poked at her with a stick until she let up on the attack. According to TMZ, Prichinich then continued on with the show as if nothing had happened, though he did wrap up act with Donut before things could escalate further.
It’s unclear whether the bear will continue to perform with the circus, or what will happen to it following the attack.
Nikita Mikhailov, who runs the Moretti Circus, gave Prichinich credit for how calmly and professionally he handled the situation. “This is an animal, and they can behave differently, they may not like something, they can express their emotions this way,” Mikhailov explained. “Every trainer understands this.”
Be that as it may, many circuses have stopped using live animals in acts due to public outcry from animal right activists. Even Ringling Brothers stopped using live animals when it returned last year following a six year hiatus.
