A circus performance in Russia nearly turned into a tragic spectacle when a brown bear, named Donut, suddenly attacked her trainer during a live show. Hundreds of children and parents watched in shock as the 490-pound bear, performing on a hoverboard, turned on her trainer, Sergei Prichinich, as reported by Fox News.

The incident took place at the Moretti Circus, where Donut wrestled Prichinich to the ground and snapped at him for nearly half a minute before a worker outside the cage intervened, prodding the bear to allow Prichinich to regain his footing.

Nikita Mikhailov, head of the Moretti Circus, provided some insight into the incident. He explained, “Towards the end of the act, the bear snapped at Sergei and wrestled with him. Their performance continued.”

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Mikhailov noted that after the worker’s intervention, Prichinich, showing remarkable composure, waited for Donut to calm down. He then got back on his feet, completed the routine with her, and even sealed it with a kiss, much to the audience’s disbelief. The show, astonishingly, went on as if nothing had happened.

Video footage of the encounter, widely shared on Telegram, shows Prichinich holding up a stick to protect himself as Donut gnawed at it.

The bear’s aggression dissipated as soon as the worker prodded her, and she walked away, leaving Prichinich unharmed. Mikhailov commended Prichinich for maintaining his cool during the ordeal, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of working with animals.

“This is an animal, and they can behave differently,” Mikhailov remarked. “They may not like something and express their emotions this way. Every trainer understands this.”

However, not everyone shared Mikhailov’s pragmatic view. Russian animal rights activist Yuri Koretskikh expressed concern over the incident, using it as a platform to call for a ban on live animal performances in circuses.

Koretskikh argued, “While modern world circus art is rapidly moving towards humanity, banning the use of animals in circuses, the Russian circus lobby is actively resisting progress, defending its commercial interests.”

The debate over animal rights in Russia has been heating up, with President Vladimir Putin signing a bill in 2018 that banned all forms of animal cruelty. Yet, the law stopped short of addressing animal performances in circuses, leaving this contentious issue unresolved.

In 2023, the Duma proposed legislation aimed at banning the use of animals in circuses altogether. The bill, co-authored by Alexey Nechaev and Vladislav Davankov, is currently making its way through the legislative process. The pair stressed their commitment to “protecting the lives and welfare of animals involved in circus performances,” pointing to extreme cases of animal abuse that have plagued the industry.

Despite growing pressure from activists, the future of animal performances in Russia remains uncertain. But as incidents like Donut’s outburst continue to occur, the call for change is only getting louder.