Moment enormous 600lb circus bear exacts horrible revenge on its owner

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."

Another parent said: "The audience rushed out in panic, including myself."

One visitor commented: "It was a huge bear, and they couldn't control it."

Someone else noted: "Initially, for a moment while filming, everyone thought it was part of the show. But when the helper began kicking the bear and used the electric prod, panic erupted. People stood up and ran to the exit."

The handler guided the bear across the stage, where it seemed to wrestle him. The performer tries to continue normally but has difficulty controlling the 600lb animal.

Even after receiving an electric shock, the bear "had time to move in a crazed state around the arena, frightening the audience."

A father remarked: "We thought we would see cute cubs but instead they brought in a massive grizzly-terminator."

Solodyuk claimed during the 2019 attack that Yashka was performing his last tour and felt unwell. He stated the bear had never shown aggression before, and his violent behavior resulted from old age and joint pain worsened by fall weather.

In a flash, the bear attacks the circus performer and pulls him down to the floor. A circus employee strikes the bear from behind while it grapples with the other performer on the ground.

Lyudmila Misnik, who manages the circus, told Russian news outlets that the spectators caused the attack. She claimed they ignored instructions to disable their phone flashes while taking videos and photos, which provoked the bear.

Bears serve as the national symbol of Russia and have featured prominently in Russian circuses for many years, despite their untamed nature. The captured bears typically have chains around their necks and must perform stunts for amused audiences.

In 2018, showing apparent authority over these powerful animals, Kremlin representative Dmitry Peskov stated that Vladimir Putin was so intimidating that bears routinely avoided him. "Bears are not stupid. When they see Putin, they will act appropriately," Peskov confidently declared.