This is the terrifying moment a hoverboard-riding circus bear attacks a trainer in front of hundreds of watching children and parents in Russia.
The raging female beast can be seen flooring tamer Sergei Prichinich, 48, and pinning him to the ground after riding on a hoverboard in Biysk, Russia.
The circus performer struggled to break free as the angry brown bear named Donut – weighing 35 stone – gnawed the stick he held in his hand to control her.
A circus official poked another stick at the predator through the barrier separating the audience from the ring.
The beast finally moved away enough to allow the performer to get up as alarmed spectators looked on in horror. The incident could have been fatal for the trainer but he remained calm.
Footage shows the raging female beast riding on a hoverboard before launching an attack
Hundreds of parents and children in the audience then watched as the bear ran towards the tamer
The bear can be seen flooring tamer Sergei Prichinich, 48, and pinning him to the ground
Astonishingly, the bear appeared to lose her aggression in an instant and walked obediently with Prichinich as if nothing had happened.
Reports said the trainer had been rushed to hospital but this was denied by the circus.
‘There performance continued,’ said a circus spokesman.
Nikita Mikhailov, head of the Moretti Circus, said later: ‘Towards the end of the act, the bear snapped at Sergei and wrestled 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 continued as usual’.
He said neither the trainer nor the bear were injured.
‘This is an animal, and they can behave differently, they may not like something, they can express their emotions this way. Every trainer understands this,’ he said.
This comes after disturbing footage was released capturing the sickening moment two bears were forced to box one another on their hind legs in front of a laughing audience at a cruel Russian circus.
The scary moment a female bear attacks her trainer midway through Russian circus show
The incident could have been fatal for the trainer but he remained calm
It was said by a circus spokesperson that the performance continued despite the attack
Reports said the trainer had been rushed to hospital but this was denied by the circus
Amazingly, it was a lucky escape for Prichinich who gets back to his feet and finishes the performance after the fierce attack
The wild beasts – removed from their natural habitats – can be seen dressed in shorts and wearing boxing gloves in shocking videos shared online.
The animals are made to perform in boxing rings under fluorescent lights in front of large and loud audiences in resorts like Sochi on the Black Sea.
Russian animal rights campaigner Yuri Koretskikh has led calls to ban live animals in circuses.
‘While modern world circus art is rapidly moving towards humanity, banning the use of animals in circuses, the Russian circus lobby is actively resisting progress, defending its commercial interests,’ he said.
Yet recent polls show that the majority of respondents ‘no longer want to see animals suffer in circuses’.