This is the shocking moment when circus performers in China beat and kicked a terrified bear cub with a stick.
Footage shot in Jinan, China’s Shandong province, shows performers in the middle of a show featuring a young bear.
The animal suddenly started to jump and tried to grab their paws.
One of the performers tried to step aside and let the zookeeper handle the situation, but the bear followed him and held his leg, so they started kicking it.
They also hit the bear on the head with a stick and pulled on the leash.
Footage shot in Jinan, China’s Shandong province, shows performers in the middle of a show featuring a young bear. The animal suddenly started to jump and tried to grab their paws.
The music used in the act was drowned out by the sound of people screaming.
When performers managed to pull the bear away and throw it in a cage, the “show” came to an abrupt end.
Staff said afterwards that the bear tried to hug the man.
They suspected the bear had become irascible from the cool weather.
They also pulled on the bear’s leash. Finally they managed to pull the bear away and throw it in a cage
The circus said the performers were not injured but said they had decided to stop the bear show so the public and visitors would not worry.
The video was filmed by one of the onlookers, shocked by the events unfolding right in front of them.
It was shared on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, where commentators have condemned the brutal act.
Commentators have also canceled the circus for putting on brutal animal shows.
It is unclear if they are being investigated for animal cruelty.
It comes after a performing brown bear attacked a female trainer in front of shocked children and their families at a circus in Russia last year.
Footage captured by an onlooker shows the wild animal — dressed in a hat and shimmering pink scarf — suddenly clawing at the blonde woman during a performance in Berezovsky, in the Kemerovo region.
You see the bear sweeping at the trainer and holding her foot and ankle before being grabbed by the neck and pulled away by two male performers.
The shocking incident at the Harlequin Traveling Circus happened just meters away from children and their parents – who had no barriers or fences to protect them from the beast.
The music video then shows how, despite the female trainer appearing to have fallen from pain, the bear is forced to continue performing tricks on her.
The animal then makes another attack before being pulled away again.
There was even a third attack, according to reports, but the video shared online doesn’t last long enough to show it.
The woman did not seek medical help after the incident.
The circus is known for dressing bears in human clothing – some wearing tutus – and “takes pride in the humane training of the animals.”
Moment when a bear attacks a circus trainer in Russia in front of terrified children and their families
Harlequin Traveling Circus’ female trainer is filmed struggling to free her leg from bear’s grip during the attack
The Russian Commission of Inquiry studied the incident to check whether there were any security violations during the performance, especially as there appears to be no fence or barrier to protect the spectators.
The Harlequin Traveling Circus later denied that there had been an attack, despite the video evidence.
A spokesperson told Mash Siberia: “There was not a single incident.
“Put simply, bears are now in mating season.”
The circus promises “an unforgettable large-scale performance with a wide variety of animals” to “surprise every city in Russia.”
The website states: ‘The performers bring a symbiosis of training, clowning and top-notch stunts into the circus ring.’
The bear was dressed in a white hat and pink glitter scarf because he was made to perform tricks before turning on his trainer
The bear was filmed attacking the trainer for the second time after he was forced to continue performing tricks
Two male circus performers grabbed the bear by the neck to pull it away from the trainer as spectators filmed the terrifying moment
Tickets to the show were priced at 500 rubles – or £4.90.
Irina Novozhilova, from animal rights group VITA, called for a ban on all live animal circuses, which remain popular across Russia.
“No circus conditions are going to be humane for one simple reason,” she said.
“Training goes hand in hand with cruelty… circuses are always cruel.
“And circuses with animals should be banned.”