By Will Stewart for MailOnline
Published: 15:47 BST, 3 May 2019 | Updated: 15:47 BST, 3 May 2019
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A circus performer is feared dead after he was strangled by a large snake during a show in Russia.
Shocking footage shows the man falling to his knees as the snake, described in media reports as a python or boa constrictor, wraps tightly around him.
Circus workers eventually come to his aid and pull the snake away as the audience realise something is wrong but the performer was left lying on the ground.
Some reports in Dagestan said the man had been killed but Russian authorities said they were not aware of a death, leaving his fate uncertain.
Performance: The man prepares to show off his snake training skills at a circus believed to be in Dagestan, Russia
In the video the man appears confident handling the snake but suddenly - and