Tiger escapes circus ring and prowls through families in the audience

A tiger leapt from a circus arena into the crowd after a protective barrier suddenly collapsed in Russia yesterday.

The footage was filmed inside a circus in the city of Rostov-on-Don,in southern Russia,on April 19.

Three tigers and two trainers were inside the circus ring when the net suspended above the arena fell down,spooking the animals.

The tigers were seen darting around the enclosure before one of them jumped over the barrier and moved into the seating area.

Audience members visibly reacted in alarm,with some parents shielding their children as the animal approached the rows of seats.

Trainers were heard shouting instructions to the crowd to remain calm and sit down as the situation unfolded.

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Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.After the net collapsed,things escalated quickly (Picture: east2west)Spectators – many of them young children with their families – were quickly escorted out of the venue following the incident.Local media stated that no injuries were reported.After the chaos,the tiger ran out of the circus tent and into a nearby street,before regional police captured it and returned it to its enclosure.Authorities said they are conducting checks based on media reports,noting that no formal complaints had been received.A similarly terrifying incident happened in Rome when an escaped circus lion was captured after wandering through the city streets for hours.Audience members shielded children as the tiger prowled around (Picture: east2west)It took authorities seven hours to capture the male big cat,named Kimba,who slipped out of the Rony Roller circus in the coastal town of Ladispoli.Kimba escaped an initial capture attempt after a rifle-fired sedative failed to put him to sleep. Police and vets continued to track the animal while he wandered among houses,but didn’t get another chance to sedate him all afternoon.Hours after issuing a statement warning people to stay inside their homes,Ladispoli’s mayor,Alessandro Grando,announced the area had been secured.Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at .For more stories like this,check our news page.