Kyrgyz officials said the bear turned on the manager, 25-year-old Dmitry Potapov, during a rehearsal.
Kyrgyz police shot and killed the bear when they arrived on the scene. It is not clear what caused the attack.
The five-year-old bear attacked Mr Potapov, dragging him across the ice and leaving him with fatal injuries.
A 29-year-old circus employee who tried to rescue Mr Potapov was badly injured and is in a critical condition, said Kyrgyz doctor Gulnara Tashibekova.
The director of the circus arena in Bishkek said Russian circus workers dragged the two men away from the bear and closed the arena's exits until the police arrived.
Bears on ice are common in Russian circuses. Some are equipped with helmets and sticks and trained to play hockey.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8320849.stm
Comments
Hide the following 8 comments
I hope the bear gets a well attended funeral march!
27.10.2009 15:25
Another comrade gunned down by the filth
Awful story....
27.10.2009 15:46
Ruby
Good
27.10.2009 15:56
A lesson to Mr Lacey perhaps. One day one of your animals is going to get revenge, and when it does... I for one shall not shed any tears for you. What comes around, goes around as they.
Fuck the circus
An irony
27.10.2009 16:39
@nti-speciesist
NVA
27.10.2009 17:11
So sad that once this bear had served justice, It was killed by pigs but not of the animal type.
Winnie The Pooh
e-mail: One Hundred Acre Wood
God is an iron
28.10.2009 00:31
If anyone killed such a circus manager, and his audience and sponsors, and I was on a jury, I'd happily vote to convict you of a 'Breach of the Peace' or vandalism charge.
Danny
There is no god
28.10.2009 08:28
anon
"If a felon is someone who commits a felon, then God is an iron"
28.10.2009 11:56
Danny