Two lions caused panic during a recent circus performance when they broke free from their enclosure and entered the audience area. 

The incident occurred on Saturday, April 15 in Luoyang, Henan Province, China.

Video footage captured the chaos that ensued as terrified circus goers tried to get away from the dangerous animals. In the video, one performer can be seen trying to get the lions back into their cage with a stick while being observed by petrified onlookers. The lions walked around the edges of the cage, with one of them hopping onto a chair and approaching the other lion. 

However, the situation turned dangerous when one of the lions jumped through a hoop held by a performer, dragging the performer along while circling the inside of the cage. Both lions then escaped the unlocked cage, causing everyone to flee the scene in a panic, some carrying children as they ran. 

The video shows one of the lions prowling around the car park as frightened visitors quickly exited the grounds. Fortunately, the animals were captured without any injuries or casualties. 

Following the incident, law enforcement ordered the circus to suspend operations while they conducted an investigation. 

A similar incident happened when two lions caused panic at Singapore Airport after they escaped their cages while being transported to a plane. Luckily, no people were injured and the escaped animals were captured and returned to their enclosures. 

It is worth noting that more than 123 attacks on humans by large captive cats have been documented in the US since 1990, with 13 of those attacks resulting in fatal injuries. Circus animals spend almost 96% of their lives in chains and cages, or even confined in small crates. These facts raise concerns about the safety of the animals, their keepers, and the people who attend animal performances.