Russian circus trainer Sergei Prichinich narrowly escaped a life-threatening situation after his nearly 500-pound bear co-star, named Donut, turned aggressive during a recent live performance.
The terrifying incident, which has since gone viral online, occurred as Sergei and Donut were entertaining an audience of parents and children. The act featured Donut riding a hoverboard near her trainer inside an enclosure. However, the performance took a dangerous turn when Donut suddenly jumped off the hoverboard and charged at Sergei.
In a horrifying scene that left the crowd in shock, the massive brown bear tackled Sergei, pinning him to the ground for over a minute. Donut whipped her head back and forth aggressively as Sergei, displaying remarkable calm, defended himself with a baton.
An employee stationed outside the cage quickly intervened, using a long staff to poke at Donut and distract her, allowing Sergei to regain his footing. Thanks to Sergei’s quick thinking and professional handling, the situation was brought under control before it could escalate further.
Despite the harrowing encounter, Sergei continued the show as if nothing had happened, wrapping up Donut’s act without further incident. Nikita Mikhailov, head of the Moretti Circus, confirmed that the rest of the performance went on without any additional issues and commended Sergei for his composure and expertise in handling the situation.
“This is an animal, and they can behave differently. They may not like something, and they can express their emotions this way. Every trainer understands this,” Nikita said, acknowledging the unpredictable nature of working with wild animals.
The attack has sparked renewed calls from animal rights activists, who argue that live animal performances should be banned globally. They cite this incident as another example of the dangers posed by such acts. Even the famous Ringling Brothers circus has retired its animal performances, returning last year with a show featuring only acrobats and human entertainers.
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