Published: 13 April, 2009, 08:40
Edited: 13 April, 2009, 08:40
A circus in Central Russia is taking audience participation to the extreme, as it lets members of the crowd enter the lion’s cage.
It's not every day you can be locked in a cage with a lion. In fact you might think it would be your last day!
The incredible stunt performed in the Perm circus sees a man from the crowd enter the cage predator's cage with just a whip in hand.
“We've been doing this stunt for 14 years now. I’ve had sheikhs, ministers, all kinds of officials in the cage and they loved every minute. It’s a unique experience,” lion tamer Nikolay Skvirsky said.
Nikolay has been a tamer for 25 years. He has lost count of the scars and near-death experiences he has had – but still loves the job.
“When I first told my wife, she looked at me and told me straight up I was crazy. And when we tried it for the first time, an American came into the cage. He spoke no Russian – I had no idea what to do either – it was a bit nerve-wracking, that first time,” he added.
And the RT crew were there to taste the extreme experience in the lion’s cage.