WATCH: Bear Performs At Russian Soccer Match, Shocks the Global Community

This weekend, before a professional soccer match in Russia, a man led a brown bear apparently named Tim to the center of the soccer pitch to clap for the crowd and hand off the ball to the referee.

The bear appeared very interested in food in the man’s pocket. The bear’s eyes followed the man’s jacket hem like predator follows prey.

Except the bear in this situation seemed very much prey to the vagaries of humans. He was muzzled and looked subdued as he performed circus tricks for the awed crowd.

“In addition to being inhumane and utterly out of touch, using a bear as a captive servant to deliver a football is downright dangerous,” PETA Director Elisa Allen told the BBC. “The bear is the symbol of Russia, so we hope the country’s people will show some compassion and national pride and stop abusing them. Common decency should compel the league to pull this stunt.”

“Bears are wild animals and as such have very specific and complex needs,” Brian da Cal, country director of Four Paws UK, explained to the BBC. “Being chained up, muzzled and forced to perform unnatural acts in front of large, rowdy crowds of people causes tremendous stress and can have an untold impact on these animals, both psychological and physical.”

In short, there are many, many, many incidents for which this phrase is appropriate, this just being the most recent: Not cool, Russia. Not cool.

Watch above, via YouTube.

[image via screengrab]

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