VIRAL video shows circus bear attacking trainer with children sitting JUST feet away without barrier
OLONETS, RUSSIA: An old video of a circus bear attacking its trainer has now resurfaced again on social media. This incident occurred in 2019 during a circus show when a depressed bear attacked a man in a Russian circus ring, resulting in panic, with children and parents fleeing the tent.
The video, shared by @animals_powers on Instagram on July 22, starts with the bear performing in front of a tent full of spectators and later, can be seen attacking the trainer when they were about to do a trick in which he pinned the trainer down and thrashed him wildly. An attendant immediately comes to the trainer’s rescue, kicking the bear in the haunches and the shoulder to drive it back. Witnessing the horrifying incident, people in the audience can be heard screaming in panic and leaving the place with their children. According to The Sun, the children were sitting just feet away with no protective barrier, and that the bear was subdued with an electric shocker when the authorities failed to stop the animal.
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As quoted by the outlet, Galina Gurieva, 27, a mother who filmed the video said, “My knees are still trembling." Another visitor narrated a few details, "At first, 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."
Netizens were left stunned after watching the video, which now has over 344K views. One said, "Maybe someday people will leanr not to use wild animals for viewing pleasure."
Another wrote, "Wild animals are not our entertainment purposes to hold in captive!!! When they snap we blame the animal. Ridiculous!!" One more person commented, "This shows how animals are not to be used for entertainment."
A report by The Moscow Times in 2019 stated that Russian circuses faced calls to ban performing animals. In November 2017, activists went on a two-week hunger strike outside the State Duma to campaign for the adoption of an animal protection law. And in 2018, there were several other protests in Moscow so that the law can be passed to implement the ban. However, as per LAD, following the horrifying circus incident and campaigns to ban bears, nothing has been done as of yet.
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