A circus performer was left with an amputated arm after being viciously attacked by a tiger in Egypt. The horrifying mauling at a local circus in Tanta, located 60 miles north of Cairo, was caught on camera and has since gone viral. According to reports, the incident occurred earlier this week when the performer inadvertently put his arm through the enclosure’s metal bars.
The tiger lunged forward and suddenly seized the man’s arm, causing chaos to unfold inside the circus arena.
In the footage, the audience is overcome with panic as spectators scream and scramble to find safety. Meanwhile, the circus staff rushes to the scene and tries to get the massive cat to let go of the man’s arm.
Despite the staff’s uses of whips and sticks to subdue it, the tiger remains unwavering, insistently trying to rip the performer’s hand off. The animal uses its full body weight as it clamps down on the performer’s limb. After the eventual animal released the performer, he was quickly taken to a local hospital with severe injuries, Fox Bangor reported.
Doctors had no choice but to amputate the limb to save his life. Following the incident, the tiger has reportedly been removed from future performances. It is also said the animal will be transported back to Cairo for retraining.
When the video surfaced showing the attack, it sent animal rights advocates reeling. Many Instagram users condemned the practice of confining wild animals for human amusement. One critic commented, “Good. These poor animals are whipped & starved. Enough is enough.” Others expressed empathy for the victim while questioning the ethics of circus performances.
“While my thoughts and prayers are with the performer and his health, I can’t help but question why this animal was caged in the first place for human entertainment. These creatures are not meant to be confined. They belong in the wild, not be subjected to conditions that cause them misery and distress.
If we were treated in the same way—whipped and forced into submission—eventually, we’d react in much the same manner. It’s a natural instinct to fight for survival. These animals are being abused, and it’s time we put an end to it,” an Instagram user commented.
“It’s called karma—if you abuse animals, don’t be surprised when they fight back,” another user remarked.
“Those tigers are kept in terrible conditions , saw it myself – worst circus in the world. I was invited to see this show and I cried when I witnessed those poor animals – it was terrible,” another Instagram user said.
