Ice-Skating Bear Kills Man

A trained ice-skating bear killed a circus director in Kyrgyzstan and mauled the animal trainer who was attempting to rescue him. Officials say Dmitri Potapov, 25, was visiting a rehearsal of a Russian State Circus performance of “Bears on Ice” when the bear—still wearing skates—dragged him across the ice and killed him. The animal handler, Yevgeny Popov, suffered bruising to the brain and scalp lacerations when he tried in vain to save Potapov. The bear, whose motive is still unknown, was later shot by the police. Trained bears are common in Russian circuses, where they are often taught to ride motorcycles, ice skate, and play hockey, but deadly attacks are rare.