An exhausted tiger attacked its trainer during a circus performance in China to the chock of the audience.
The incident took place at the Liaohe Theater in Yingkou, Liaoning Province, on August 20.
In one video that circulated on social media, the tiger can be seen biting and dragging the trainer around the caged stage. The tiger was eight years old and weighed 240 kilograms (529 pounds).
Another trainer then rushed to help his colleague and repeatedly hit the feline with a long stick.
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The audience, meanwhile, was sitting less than two meters (7 feet) from the stage.
The tiger eventually let go after receiving several blows. The trainer, on the other hand, sustained a few scratches.
In response to the incident, the theater released a statement explaining that the tiger became agitated after working three shows a day for 10 consecutive days, the South China Morning Post reported.
Since the clip went viral, a majority of netizens condemned the animal cruelty apparent in circus performances, AsiaOne noted.
Many called to boycott such shows and argued that wild animals must not be held in captivity.
For now, the theater has trimmed the tiger’s schedule down to two shows a day after the incident.
Check out the shocking clip below:
