DOHA: A circus show at Hyatt Plaza has been cancelled after a six-year-old Qatari boy was attacked and hurt by a baby leopard on Saturday evening.
The leopard was one of the attractions of the Royal Circus which was being held at the premises of the shopping complex since October 15.
Interestingly, the child is named Fahd, an Arabic word meaning leopard, according to Al Sharq.The circus also had other animals including white lions, tigers, snakes and Dalmatians.
The boy was one of the visitors at the show and was attacked while he was trying to be photographed with the leopard after the show, Hyatt Plaza General Manager Firoz Mohideen told this daily last evening.
He suffered injuries on his neck and chest and underwent a surgery at the Hamad General Hospital on the same day, it has been learnt. “The incident didn’t take place at the event venue but in the lobby tent when he tried to take a photo with the leopard,” said Mohideen.
The boy was accompanied by his mother. Mohideen said that it is not unusual for people to take photos with animals and artists after the show. “The organisers allow people to take photos with the animals and artists. The leopard was chained and had a collar which was locked, but unfortunately it attacked the boy,” he said.
The show was scheduled to run until the end of December and its organisers are not connetcted with Hyatt Plaza, said Mohideen.
“We only provided the venue for the show ,” he said.
Royal Circus, organised by Global Entertainments Group, featured shows and acts by world-famous performers from countries such as the UK, Russia, Spain, Italy, Ecuador, Uzbekistan, Mongolia and Brazil.
“We deeply regret what happened and have cancelled the circus with immediate effect,” he said.
Relatives of the child have alleged that the incident happened due to safety lapses. The barrier between the leopard and the visitors was not tall enough to prevent an attack, said the grandfather of the child.
“His mother had almost collapsed after witnessing the attack. Such incidents should not repeat again,” he said.
The leopard is isolated and the police are investigating the incident, said the daily.
The Peninsula
