Panic as three male lions fight midway through circus show in Yekaterinburg circus

Two male circus lions from the same pride pounced on another male in a hormone-fuelled attack midway through the performance of Gia Eradze Royal Circus in Yekaterinburg on 1 February. 

The handler left the fenced stage seconds after the fight began, as circus staff used cold water hoses and sticks to separate the animals. 

Some of the audience close to the ring panicked and left as they got splashed with water. 

Three male and two female lions that were involved in the weekend performance in front of families with children. 

Some of the audience close to the ring panicked and left as they got splashed with water. Pictures from the Saturday performance and earlier performances in Russia 

The animals worked through first half of the show but refused to perform after the break. 

‘A female lion caused the fight. One of the male lions 'chose' a female and got attacked two others as they all returned from the break’, said Yelena, a mother-of-one at the circus with her daughter. 

The handler and the circus team dealt with the fight in a professional manner, apologising to visitors who got scared by the fight. 

The lions were separated and taken backstage. 

‘There was no violence from the lion trainer. I still believe that lions should belong to nature, not the circus, but I brought my 6-year-old because she attends a circus studio and she wanted to watch acrobats and gymnasts’, Yelena said. 

The circus trainer said after resuming the show that the fight was caused by the start of the mating season. 

Lion trainer Artem Lazarevskiy, and videos from Saturday performance