A bear attack on its trainer during a circus performance in Biysk, Russia, was captured on video, stunning the audience.
The incident occurred at the Moretti Circus when a bear unexpectedly lunged at its trainer, Sergei Prichinich, 48, who also manages the circus. The animal had been performing an act on an electric skateboard, receiving treats from Prichinich to keep moving. However, the situation took a dangerous turn when it suddenly dismounted and attacked the trainer, knocking him to the ground and repeatedly striking him.
Bear Attacks Trainer: Self Defense or Instinct
Fortunately, Prichinich managed to control the bear and calm it down. Neither the trainer nor the bear sustained injuries, and the show continued after the animal was removed from the stage using a special collar.
🚨 Donut, a bear exploited for this Russian circus, fought back & attacked a performer on video 🚨 How many incidents have to happen before circuses leave ALL animals OUT of the big top? 💔➡️ https://t.co/j14fsobXsa pic.twitter.com/tjnwvSMjhQ
— PETA (@peta) August 29, 2024
“Towards the end of the act, the bear jumped at Sergei and fought. He purposely didn’t reqsist and waited for the bear to calm down. Then he got up, continued the routine, and even gave the bear a kiss. That was it; the show went on as usual,” the circus manager explained.
The Moretti Circus director emphasized that trainers are prepared to handle such situations and dismissed reports from some local media outlets claiming that Prichinich had been injured and hospitalized.
“It’s an animal, and they can behave differently. If they don’t like something, they can express their emotions in this way. Any trainer understands this,” Nikita Mikhailov told the Daily Mail.
Meanwhile, animal rights groups have protested the conditions in which circus animals are kept, arguing that the stress of training often leads to aggressive behavior.
PETA’s Statement Against Circuses
“Elephants, tigers, and other animals used by circuses to entertain audiences don’t stand on their heads, jump through hoops, or balance on pedestals because they want to. They perform these and other difficult tricks out of fear of what will happen if they don’t.”
Read also: J.K. Rowling Criticizes Trans Athlete Valentina Petrillo’s Participation in Paris Paralympics
“To force animals to perform, circus trainers abuse them with whips, tight collars, muzzles, electric prods, and bullhooks…”
PETA also highlights the constant confinement the animals endure:
“Circuses travel nearly year-round, in all weather extremes, sometimes for days at a time. During transit, the animals are confined to trailers or trucks, where they may lack access to basic necessities like food, water, and veterinary care. Elephants are chained, and big cats are kept in cramped, filthy cages, where they eat, drink, sleep, defecate, and urinate—all in the same space. And there’s no relief once the animals reach a venue, where they remain caged or chained in arena basements and parking lots,” they write on their official website.
What do you think? Should animals be banned from circuses?