Video Shows 490-Pound Bear Named Donut Attacking Circus Trainer at Show
The circus trainer kept calm and handled the bear properly while being attacked.
A Russian circus trainer was fortunate enough to walk away with his life after a 490-pound bear attacked him during a live show.
Video footage has circulated online showing Sergei Prichinich working a routine with his bear named Donut. The routine included Donut riding around on a hoverboard guided by Prichinich. However, things went awry when the massive bear jumped and tackled the trainer to the ground.
Donut then tried to bite Prichinich and whipped its head back and forth while the trainer hit it with a baton. The scuffle continued for over a minute before a circus employee outside the enclosure poked Donut with a staff, allowing Prichinich to get back on his feet.
Prichinich realized parents and children were horrified by the attack and continued the show as if no incident had occurred. The head of Moretti Circus, which put on the show, Nikita Mikhailov, stated that the show continued without any more accidents and praised Prichinich for handling the attack properly.
"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," she said.
Russian animal rights campaigner Yuri Koretskikh added that even though the incident didn't get worse, the attack is a reminder that live animal performances should be banned from circus shows.
"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," Koretskikh said in a statement.
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