Russian circus trainer Sergei Prichinich narrowly escaped a life-threatening situation after his nearly 500-pound bear co-star, named Donut, turned aggressive during a recent live performance.
The terrifying incident, which has since gone viral online, occurred as Sergei and Donut were entertaining an audience of parents and children.
The act featured Donut riding a hoverboard near her trainer inside an enclosure. However, the performance took a dangerous turn when Donut suddenly jumped off the hoverboard and charged at Sergei.
In a horrifying scene that left the crowd in shock, the massive brown bear tackled Sergei, pinning him to the ground for over a minute.
Donut whipped her head back and forth aggressively as Sergei, displaying remarkable calm, defended himself with a baton.
An employee stationed outside the cage quickly intervened, using a long staff to poke at Donut and her, allowing Sergei to regain his footing.
Thanks to Sergei’s quick thinking and professional handling, the situation was brought under control before it could escalate further.
