The tiger escaped after a net separating the animals from the crowd was lowered due to a sudden malfunction or mechanical fault, according to major media reports. It was recaptured a short distance from the tent, and no one was injured in the incident. According to Daily Mirror - Main, an eyewitness described the tigers getting scared, with one jumping out into the audience, children screaming, and adults running in panic. Another eyewitness claimed the tiger ran out onto the street after the tent was evacuated and was running through rows of seats where there were no people, as reported by Daily Mirror - Main. The exact cause of the net failure and how long the tiger was loose before recapture remain unclear.
Russia’s federal Investigative Committee announced a probe into potential safety violations on Monday. Circus director Nikolai Dovgaluk said the net falling was due to employee error and a coincidence. He stated, "The trainer put a collar on the tiger, led it to the enclosure, and brought it in without incident. It's not that there was 100% no threat to the audience, but these are tame tigers, meaning they're trained like tame animals. The most important thing is that there was no panic, and therefore, there was no incident because of that." Dovgaluk added, "It's impossible to even say anyone was directly at fault." Authorities have not detailed what safety protocols were in place or what actions will be taken to prevent future incidents.
The tigers got scared... and one jumped out into the audience. Children were screaming, adults running in panic.
The animal was running through the rows of seats where there were no people at all.