In a horrific incident on Saturday, a lion mauled a circus trainer during a live performance in the Novosibirsk region of Russia, causing a terrified audience to vacate the venue. The trainer, who is identified as Maxim Orlov by the local media, had to be rushed to the hospital because of his injuries. In the video, the two lionesses, Vega and Santa, can be seen rolling on the floor amid flashing lights and loud music when the trainer comes into the ring. Suddenly, Vega jumps on Orlov and grabs his leg. His initial efforts to fend off the big cat are successful, but moments later, she grabs his body again and continues to claw at the trainer. Watch the video here: According to The DailyMail, a pregnant woman in the audience suffered an epileptic seizure due to the shock. “The lionesses went berserk," an eyewitness at the Circus told the news website. "When we ran away, there was a wild roar from the animals." The trainer, after being bandaged, said that such cases are very rare, but animals are animals. He also assured that the lioness would not perform again after the attack. The incident led to calls for a ban on the use of animals in circuses. Many in the comments section criticised the circus for animal abuse.
