THIS is the terrifying moment a hoverboard-riding circus bear attacks the handler during a cruel show in front of screaming families.
The raging female bear suddenly became agitated and lunged at the circus performer during a show packed with kids and parents in Biysk, Russia.
The captive animal launches itself at Sergei Prichinich, 48, after she seemed to have had enough of cruelly being made to perform on the hoverboard.
Footage shows the female brown bear Donut – who weighs a whopping 35 stone – riding around the massive red cage on the hoverboard before looking at the tamer and running at him.
In what looks to be a rugby tackle, the bear grabs the circus performer by the legs and throws him to the ground as onlookers watch on in horror.
Prichinich is filmed stuck under Donut for a few long seconds as he tries to redirect her face away from him to escape.
Donut proceeds to gnaw the stick the tamer is holding in his hand to control her.
A circus official is then seen poking another stick at Donut through the barrier that separates the audience from the ring.
The beast finally moves away enough to allow the performer to get up.
Astonishingly, the bear appeared to lose her aggression in an instant and walked obediently with Prichinich as if nothing happened.
The terrifying incident could have been fatal for the trainer but he appeared to remain calm.
Reports said the trainer had been rushed to hospital but this was denied by the circus.
The circus spokesman said: “Their performance continued.”
Nikita Mikhailov, head of the Moretti Circus, said later: “Towards the end of the act, the bear snapped at Sergei and wrestled with him.”
He “didn’t resist on purpose” and “waited for the bear to calm down, got up, continued the routine with her, sealed it all with a kiss, and that was it — the show continued as usual”.
He said neither the trainer nor the bear were injured.
Mikhailov continued: “This is an animal, and they can behave differently, they may not like something, they can express their emotions this way.
“Every trainer understands this.”
Russian animal rights campaigner Yuri Koretskikh has led calls to ban live animals in circuses.
He said: “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.”
Recent polls even show that the majority of respondents “no longer want to see animals suffer in circuses.”
Russia has been under fire for decades from angry animal rights activists over their treatment of bears in a huge number of despicable circus shows.
Shocking reports from regions such as Crimea have shown the wild beasts being piled with booze and unhealthy snacks until they’re forced to perform for hundreds of people.
As well as being led around on tight leashes by money-hungry trainers during the dangerous show.
They can also be subjected to electrocution and made to stand on burning metal as part of their rigorous, non-consensual training regiment.
When the final curtain falls they are slammed inside tiny cages and often left alone for hours with no food or company.
It’s believed the treatment of these animal circus performers has led to a huge rise in bear maulings.
