LVIV, Ukraine, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- An American family attending a circus in Ukraine recorded lions attacking a trainer while the audience watched in horror, officials say.

The video shot by Doug Shepard Saturday recorded the initial attack on lion tamer Oleskie Pinko who was using a steel rod to keep one lion at bay, CBS News reported.


In the video, the lion is roaring, lunging and striking Pinko before another lion joins in the attack, biting the trainer's left arm.

Circus workers attempted to hose down the angry lions and move them away from Pinko.

Shepard's wife Marsha said she grabbed her daughter and started to run for fear the lions would escape from the ring.

A mesh fence was the only barrier separating the circus audience from the lions, The Guardian newspaper reported.

By the end of the attack, most of the audience had left.

The lion tamer was reported to be in stable condition.