Delhi, January 7: A circus show was halted in Russia when two female tigers engaged in a vicious fight in front of youngsters and their parents. The audience of children and parents were left terrified as the circus performance turned into a bloody spectacle.

Extremely unsettling footage from the Kislovodsk State Circus in Russia have emerged showing trainers continuously hitting the tigers with poles and throwing objects at them to separate them. Tiger Attacks Circus Trainer, Hauls Him to Floor and Bites His Neck During a Live Performance in Italy; Crowd Screams in Shock! (Watch Viral Video)

The fight continued for several minutes and quickly turned bloody as a a nine-year-old white tigress named Gina attacked Eru, another tigress she was sharing the stage with. Eru was severely injured after Gina’s rampage but went back onto a ring stool before falling in front of hundreds of people including children with blood streaming from gaping wounds, reported Dailystar.

There were other tigers in the ring but they didn’t participate in the fight. Vets are now fighting to save Eru’s life and the distressing incident has led to calls for a ban on live animals at circuses in Russia. Video: Man-Eater Tiger Kills Minor Girl, Continues Hunt in Residential Areas of Bihar’s Bagaha

Famous tiger trainer Yaroslav Zapashny, 32, from Moscow, who was touring with his group, apologized for the gruesome incident witnessed by hundreds of children and parents.

The horrific big cat fight occurred a day after a lion attacked a well-known circus trainer in another part of Russia. This attack also took place during a performance as children and their parents watched on, this time in the Black Sea resort, Sochi as the beast clawed and sank its teeth into 42-year-old Alexey Makarenko.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 07, 2023 06:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).