Netizens claim animal abuse after Russian Circus bear attacks handler

In a traveling circus in Russia, a bear attacked its handler while the audience was watching which has attracted a huge controversy on media. The act was caught by audience mid-performance in Olonets, a northwest Russian town in the Republic of Karelia last week. The bear was performing in an act called Clubfoot and the Garden Wheelbarrow which involves the bear pushing a wheelbarrow was reportedly also wearing a muzzle as seen in a video that has gone viral after the incident. The bear can be seen walking along with its handler after pushing the wheelbarrow and then lunging forward and attacking the man in the middle of the act in the video which has created a huge outcry. 

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The handler and the act with bear have been cancelled by circus

The bear could be controlled only after the circus workers beat him and with a lot of effort. But it was calm only after it knocked its handler to the ground amid frantic screaming from the crowd which included children. Following the incident, the circus issued a statement that mentioned that the bear belonged to the handler. They will not engage the handler in the circus again and won't show the act as well, they added. The Russian circus had to cancel further shows planned in other nearby cities. 

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Response to the video

The video has irked activists and people at large who have started to debate regarding the safety and ethical integrity of using wild animals for performative purposes with many citing animal abuse and exploitation. Twitter was full of angry reactions to the video. Many supported the ban on animals for entertainment. It is not the first incident of animal abuse that came to light this year. A mayor of a city in southern Russia has banned the use of animals in circuses owing to ethical reasons in May.

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