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Bear Circus

An ice-skating bear in a touring Russian circus killed a circus manager and a trainer, raising concerns about the ethics and safety of using animals commercially.

Raising concerns as to the safety and ethics of keeping animals in captivity for commercial use and performance: “An ice-skating bear with a touring Russian circus has killed a circus manager and seriously injured a trainer in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek. Kyrgyz officials said the bear turned on the manager, 25-year-old Dmitry Potapov, during a rehearsal. The bear, who had skates on at the time, severely mauled another circus worker who tried to rescue the manager. Kyrgyz police shot and killed the bear when they arrived on the scene. It is not clear what caused the attack. The five-year-old bear attacked Mr Potapov, dragging him across the ice and leaving him with fatal injuries. A 29-year-old circus employee who tried to rescue Mr Potapov was badly injured and is in a critical condition, said Kyrgyz doctor Gulnara Tashibekova.”


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