A sudden change occurred in 16-year-old Yashka’s brain. The intense illumination within the compact circus marquee possibly triggered him. Or perhaps the piercing, metallic melodies irritated his ears. It might have been the realization that he, a 600lb top predator, had been degraded to performing simple stunts for a mobile circus.

This internal struggle pushed Yashka, a massive Russian bear controlled by the Anshlag traveling circus from Voronezh, into complete aggression. Within seconds, the Russian bear transformed from pushing a cart during the ‘Bow-legged and the Wheelbarrow’ act to savagely biting his trainer’s arm.

Spectators screamed as another circus employee started kicking the bear from behind. But Yashka maintained his grip and continued his violent outburst. He repeatedly sank his claws and fangs into Ruslan Solodyuk, his handler, causing audience members to flee.

The circus performance starts normally but quickly turns chaotic. Witnesses were terrified by the incident. Galina Gurieva, a 27-year-old mother who recorded the disturbing event in Olonets town, stated: “My knees still shake. I was alarmed there was no barrier to protect viewers, considering the bear’s size.”