This is the horrifying moment a mum appears to drop her toddler daughter into a brown bear' s enclosure at a zoo.
CCTV from the zoo in Tashkent, Uzbekistan shows the distressed visitors as the predator - named Zuzu - ran towards the three-year-old.
Witnesses say Zuzu went up to the girl and sniffed after she landed in the trench.
Fortunately, the massive beast wandered away after it was enticed to another part of the enclosure.
Staff were then able to rescue the little girl.
In the clip, the mum is seen moving to the after as she holds her child over the railings at the viewing point.
Suddenly, the little girl appears to be dropped into the bear's den. She then appears to stay and watch.
In another CCTV clip, six staff members are seen entering the external part of the cage, and one is seen scooping up the little girl in her arm
The mum was later detained and faces a criminal case for attempted murder, say reports in Tashkent.
A zoo spokeswoman said: “A young woman threw a little girl down into a brown bear’s enclosure, in front of all the visitors.
“It was completely unclear what her motive was.
“‘Both the visitors and the staff of the zoo were trying to stop her - but failed.”
She said: "We are scared to even think how this would end if the bear were to react at the toddler as its prey.
“Zuzu, a male Caucasian Brown Bear, was watching the woman, who threw the little one over a metal fence.
“She fell into a trench under the fence.
“Zuzu got slowly stood up, slowly got down the trench, walked towards the girl, sniffed her - and walked back.”
The mother - unnamed - has been detained and faces a minimum of 15 years in prison if convicted, say reports.
The girl suffered a concussion, head cuts and bruises injuries from her fall “but not a single trace of wounds from the bear’s fangs or claws.”
She was also suffering “light shock”.
