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(CNN) - A circus bear attacked its tamer during a show in Russia on Wednesday, with horrified spectators sitting nearby.
The traveling show took place in the city of Olonets in the Republic of Karelia, a region in northwestern Russia, according to the state news agency TASS.
The bear, who was gagged, had been performing in a circus tent full of seated spectators, including children, in an act called "Clubfoot and the garden wheelbarrow," according to state-run Vesti News. The images of the scene show the bear pushing a wheelbarrow, then following its tamer across the carpet, walking upright. Then he throws himself, throwing the man to the ground.
Another circus staff member rushes, kicking the bear in the side and shoulder. There are shouts from the audience members, who are sitting near the ring without any barrier in between.
Finally, the bear was subdued, TASS reported. Neither the tamer nor the members of the audience were injured.
A spokeswoman for the circus said the bear belonged to the controller and that the act has been excluded from the show.
"After (the incident), we decided to separate from the artist, and the act will be removed from the program," he said, according to TASS. "There is nothing serious, the artist is fine, the bear is fine, nobody killed the bear because the animal is not to blame."
Circus representatives also suggested to TASS that the bear could have attacked because he was scared of the public's flash photographs.
The circus was supposed to perform later in the city of Sortavala, but stopped its tour and left Karelia, according to TASS.
Karelia officials are investigating the incident. Gennady Saraev, commissioner for human and children's rights in Karelia, told TASS that he would examine existing legislation on public safety at events like these.
The acts of circus animals have been subject to scrutiny in recent years, and many accuse the spectacles of exploitation and abuse of animals. Many parts of the United States have begun to ban acts with animals altogether; it is illegal to use wild or exotic animals in acts in New Jersey, while Illinois and New York have laws that prohibit the use of elephants.
Circus shows with animals have a long history in Russia and are still popular today, but there are signs of change: a mayor of the city in southern Russia banned circuses in May that use wild animals for ethical reasons, according to the state newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta .
Circus Bears