A shocking video shows a giant fish attacking and biting the head of a Russian “mermaid” performer in front of an audience of children at a Chinese aquarium.
In the video shared on X, formerly Twitter, by The Daily Mail, the Russian “mermaid” performer, identified as a 22-year-old by the name of Masha, can be seen swimming in an aquarium alongside a variety of fish. The Daily Mail reported that the 22-year-old was performing for children at an aquarium located at China’s Xishuangbanna Primitive Forest Park when the incident occurred.
The video shows Masha waving to people gathered around the aquarium before a giant fish swims toward her head and clamps its jaws down on her head. The crowd can then be heard screaming as the performer’s head was engulfed by the giant fish’s jaws.
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The Daily Mail reported that the “mermaid” performer was able to break free from the jaws of the giant fish in just a matter of seconds and quickly swim to the top of the aquarium; however, the fish appeared to swallow the performer’s goggles and nose clips.
According to The New York Post, Russian media outlets said the 22-year-old “mermaid” performer suffered wounds to her neck, head, and eye during the incident. The Russian media outlets also reported that the 22-year-old was allegedly forced to return to the aquarium after the attack despite being in pain from her injuries.
A picture of the injuries Masha sustained in the fish attack has been shared on social media.
The New York Post also reported that the Russian performer was offered less than $100 as compensation for the incident and was warned by her employers at the Xishuangbanna Primitive Forest Park not to share footage of the fish attack. The outlet noted that despite the aquarium’s attempt to prevent footage of the incident from being released, the video went viral on Douyin, which is the Chinese version of TikTok.
According to The Daily Mail, Masha’s performance at the Xishuangbanna Primitive Forest Park was in a freshwater aquarium that contains rare amphibians and various native species from the Yangtze and Mekong Rivers. The outlet noted that it is not yet clear what specific fish attacked the 22-year-old Russian performer.