Footage captures the shocking moment when a circus bear attacked its handler during a performance.

The incident involved 48-year-old handler Sergei Prichinich, who was performing with a bear that had been riding a hoverboard.

During the show in the Altay Kray region of central Russia, the female bear suddenly charged at Prichinich, knocking him to the ground, as shown in the video.

The brown bear, named Donut, who weighs over 490 pounds, pinned Prichinich to the ground and appeared to bite at a stick he was holding.

Another trainer attempted to intervene by prodding a stick through the bars. After several tense seconds, Donut backed off, allowing Prichinich to get back on his feet.

Following the incident, Donut seemed to have lost her temper but calmly walked away from Prichinich.

The Moretti Circus denied reports that the trainer was hospitalized, stating that the show continued as planned.

Prichinich remained composed throughout the ordeal, and neither he nor the bear sustained injuries.

Nikita Mikhailov, head of the Moretti Circus, explained: “Toward the end of the act, the bear snapped at Sergei and wrestled with him.” Mikhailov noted that Prichinich “didn’t resist on purpose,” waiting for the bear to calm down before finishing the performance with a kiss, as usual.

Mikhailov added, “Animals can behave differently, dislike things, and express their feelings. Every trainer understands this.”

The audience watched in horror as Prichinich was pinned down. Although the situation could have been deadly, Prichinich remained calm until Donut walked away.

In Russia, the use of animals in circuses is still legal, and they are featured in various acts.

In another act, two bears were dressed in shorts and made to “box” each other on their hind legs in a makeshift ring.

Yuri Koretskikh, a Russian animal rights activist, is leading efforts to ban the use of animals in circuses. He emphasized, “While modern circuses around the world are moving toward more humane practices, banning animals, the Russian circus lobby is resisting progress to protect its commercial interests.”

Koretskikh added that despite claims that audiences “no longer want to see animals suffer in circuses,” the practice continues.