Circus bear dressed in hat and scarf goes wild and attacks trainer in viral video; Watch

During the Harlequin Travelling Circus in Russia's Berezovsky, a circus bear went wild and attacked a trainer, the shocking incident was captured on camera. The animal walked into the circle wearing a scarf and a hat and dashed towards the female trainer and clawed at her legs.

Two other trainers attempted desperately to take the animal away from the woman, who eventually slumped to the ground, while terrified children and parents looked on in fear. It didn't stop there, though. Despite its furious outburst, the bear was forced to continue performing. When the woman went around with a hoop in front of it during the second performance, the powerful animal attacked her again.

The bear attacked the trainer three times

According to reports, the bear launched a third attack, but the event went on as planned. Following the event, the Russian Investigative Committee reviewed the attack video to see whether any safety violations occurred during the performance. The circus is known for dressing bears in human clothing.

Interestingly, despite the video footage going viral on social media, the circus has denied everything and said that there was no commotion at all. According to a circus representative, Mash Siberia, bears are now in the midst of their mating season.

The animal rights activist has demanded a ban on circuses with animals

Animal rights activist Irina Novozhilova has now called for a ban on all circuses with live animals, which are still very popular in Russia. She believes that training these wild animals goes hand in hand with cruelty and circuses are always brutal to the point of insanity. 

This isn't the first time animals have attacked circus performers in Russia. A horrifying video captured the moment a lioness mauled a circus trainer in front of a crowd of youngsters in Mau. When the trainer, Maxim Orlov, was mauled by the lioness named Vega, he was performing in the Ural Travelling Circus.

Another attack occurred during a performance at Olonets, 180 kilometres from St Petersburg, in northern Russia in 2019, a bear attacked and injured its trainer. A video of the incident shows the bear, which weighs 272 kilogrammes, moves on its hind legs, carrying a wheelbarrow. The trainer is abruptly attacked by the gigantic monster, which bites his head and neck and knocks him to the ground.