A terrified audience didn't get the show they expected after a circus lion went rogue and attacked the lion tamer.
The shocking event was captured on video and shows the tamer, armed only with a whip, completely powerless compared to the large cat.
In the video, the two lionesses enter the ring and begin wrestling with each other. As the tamer moves closer, one of the lions, named Vega, jumped at the trainer's legs, pulling him to the ground.
Vega continued biting at the trainer while he tried to fight back. Circus workers outside of the cage started poking at the lion, hoping to scare it away.
The lion tamer, Maxim Orlov, finally got to his feet. However, Vega wasn't done. Within seconds, she once again tackles Orlov to the ground as he was trying to exit the cage.
Despite being attacked twice, Orlov is able to exit the ring on his own two feet. He was rushed to the hospital.
Orlov doesn't blame the lion for the attack. In fact, he is blaming the pandemic, saying they were out of practice from the pause.
Photo: Getty Images