Tiger mauls circus trainer in horrifying attack caught on camera in Italy

The tiger slowly sneaked up behind the trainer and bit his leg and mauled him down. (Image: screengrab from video tweeted by LaSamy65280885)

In a horrifying video caught on camera, an animal trainer was attacked and mauled by a tiger inside a cage during a family circus show in Leece, Italy.

In a 45-second clip, now viral on social media, Ivan Orfei, 31, is seen concentrating on a tiger atop a metal ring when he is ambushed from behind by another big cat who first bites his leg and then mauls him down and proceeds to bite him on his neck.

The tiger slowly sneaked up behind the trainer and took him by surprise attacking him, as the crowd yells in horror and Orfei tries to free himself from the clutches of the predator.

Orfei’s assistant rushes to the stage with table to scare the animal off and then the trainer is taken to a hospital where he is being treated for his critical injuries.

Watch the shocking video here:

Incidente al Circo per #ivanorfei, attaccato alle spalle da una Tigre davanti ai bimbi del pubblico
Ricoverato in codice rosso#circo #Orfei pic.twitter.com/VgYDvuxkJT

— SALLY (@LaSamy65280885) December 31, 2022

Animals, especially the wild ones, have attacked their trainers in the past as well although most times adequate safety measures are in place to avoid such incidents.