YouTube A video shows the moment a bear attacks a Russian circus performer.
A viral video shows the moment a bear attacks a Russian circus performer. You can watch the video later in this article. Be forewarned that the video is disturbing because it shows the circus performer being pushed down and attacked by the massive bear.
However, it looks worse than it ended up being when all was said and done; the trainer, who was identified as Ruslan Solodyuk, told a Russian language news site that he is OK. Furthermore, Solodyuk defended the bear and said he hopes the bear ends up in a zoo.
The video shows the bear pushing a wheelbarrow as Solodyuk urges the bear on. The bear is standing on hind legs. At that point, the bear suddenly turns on the performer, knocks him to the ground, and begins to maul him. Another man leaps into action and tries to kick the bear to get him off the man. All of this takes place in front of an audience sitting pretty close to the ring.
The Russian language news site Daily Storm spoke to the injured trainer, who was working during the Karelian circus. He attributed the bear’s “aggressive behavior” to joint disease and old age and said the bear was never a real threat to the audience because he was both wearing a muzzle and a leash. It was the last circus for the bear.
“Yashka had never behaved like this before,” Solodyuk told Daily Storm.
Here’s the video:
Here’s what you need to know:
The Brown Bear Is Named Yashka & Weighs 600 Pounds
The brown bear, named Yashka, is a formidable opponent. The animal weighs 600 pounds, according to USA Today. The Associated Press reported that the circus bear attacked the trainer on Thursday October 24, 2019 in Olonets, which is a community that is located about two hours from St. Petersburg, Russia.
To Daily Storm, the trainer defended the bear, blaming its old age and health. “Everything is fine with me after the attack of Yashka. I just got a couple of scratches,” he told the Russian news site. “Yashka is huge (weighs 300 kilograms), sick and old – 16 years old. The animal periodically hurts joints, treat it. In spring and autumn, just like in people, Yashka’s problems worsen. This time the bear crouched on stage and, apparently, felt pain.”
The bear next headed towards the audience and was “subdued with an electric shocker,” according to AP. Because of the lack of barriers between audience and bear, authorities have opened a criminal investigation, AP reported, as Russian law mandates that a circus keep people safe.
According to the New York Times, Lyudmila Misnik, the manager of the circus, blamed the audience, saying that the bear was unsettled by people taking flash pictures with cell phones, despite being told not to do so. The circus also includes the following, according to The Times: “dogs, raccoons, pythons, monkeys, parrots, as well as trapeze, magic tricks, illusionists, an iron man and clowns.” The trainer disputed the flashing cell phone comment, blaming the bear’s “sore feet,” according to Daily Storm.
READ NEXT: Congresswoman Accused of Having Throuple.