Amur tigers are magnificent creatures that should not be kept in circuses.
Fortunately, animal rights advocates have made progress in ending animal performances in circuses. Unfortunately, this was not enough to save Zena, a six-year-old tiger forced to perform at a Russian circus. The stress and unnatural conditions proved too much for her.
In Magnitogorsk, a circus ring surrounded by wire is the main attraction. Seven tigers are brought out and rest on the outer ring. The brother and sister handlers, Artur and Karina Bagdasarov, control the tigers with long sticks that they crack on the ground like whips. A large crowd gathers and the duo forces two tigers to leap through multiple rings of fire. Tragically, one of the tigers collapsed in convulsions only a few feet away from the audience.
The disturbing scene persisted when Artur seized Zena’s tail and pulled her away. Meanwhile, Karina snapped her stick to prevent the other tigers from attacking. Their behavior has sparked global outrage, with many labeling them “sadistic.”
The handlers justified their actions by stating that they did what was necessary to prevent Zena from being attacked by the other tigers. They argued that a catfight would have ensued otherwise. Before she was taken out of the ring, buckets of frigid water were hurled at the tiger in an attempt to revive her.
Karina explained, “Artur did everything in his power to revive Zena and followed the proper procedures, including stimulating her reflexes and pouring water on her. Our top priority was to prevent the other animals from attacking, as they perceive weakness as an opportunity to attack and kill. If we hadn’t intervened, there would have been a violent altercation, and it’s impossible to predict who would have survived.”
Artur Bagdasarov explains that he had to pull Zena by her tail to prevent her from falling between the stage and the wire fence. He states that he dragged her to a safe place where there were no other tigers around, as any other tiger could have attacked her in her weakened state. Karina was controlling six other animals to prevent any harm to Zena.
He defends his decision to grab Zena by the tail, stating that there was no other way to move her as she is a large, powerful animal with claws on her paws. He adds that he was shocked to see himself dragging her in the video as she weighs 200 kg and he is a healthy man.
“What if I had taken her away from the stage? She would have recovered there, but what would I do next? Once she recovers, she would still be a tiger with claws and teeth,” says Artur, defending his actions during the emergency situation. The video shows him calling for aides to bring water. “It was a shock for all of us. We have just two people behind the wire fence. We usually work with a water cannon to quickly bring the animal back to senses.”
This incident raises concerns that similar emergencies have occurred in the past. It highlights the need to ban animals from performing in circuses and instead provide them with appropriate sanctuaries.
The duo claims that the reason behind the tiger’s collapse is unknown. In the video that documents the distressing incident, the tigress eventually recovers from her “epileptic fit.” When she finally stands up, the audience claps. Artur said, “everything’s fine, stand up, stand up, my girl.”
Karina says, “These types of incidents happen to animals. It’s possible that her blood sugar level dropped, or she had a blood pressure attack, or perhaps it was due to hormones. We’ve already called the veterinarians, and a blood test was conducted. Our vet from Moscow will be here soon to scan Zena’s liver and kidneys.” However, Zena was reportedly “eating well” before her performance last Sunday.
Critics are not mincing words and are letting the duo know how they feel. “You are cruel! This is such a terrible job. You should be ashamed,” wrote one critic.
“Please avoid circuses with animals. These ‘trainers’ are cruel. Animals are very seldom seen in foreign circuses.”
You can watch the terrible incident in the video below.
Rewrite source: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/circus-tiger-russia/
