Bullfighting can be very dangerous! In a terrifying turn of events back in 2019, a bullring volunteer was brutally killed by a bull unexpectedly. A horde of 2000 spectators witnessed this agonizing episode and were rendered helpless in the process.
Most sports involve predicting the next move of your opponent. But an animal that’s so uncontrollable, there is almost no way of anticipating its behavior.
How did this unfortunate incident happen?
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As per a tweet shared by Mary Zientek Sulaiman, this incident took place in Zamora, Spain in 2019 during the “Fiestas del Toro”. Before the start of the tournament, all the bulls are let out in the open. While the bull was running back to its pen, it attacked the man. And before the guy could even breathe, the bull ruthlessly gored him.
Bullfighting official dies after animal's horn impales neck while 2,000 watch https://t.co/NtMqGqiODB
— Mary Zientek Sulaiman (@ZientekMary) June 25, 2023
The video is quite disturbing as it shows just the moments before the volunteer, known as “torilero” in Spain, was attacked. Close to 2000, people who had come for entertainment ended up sighing with fright. The volunteer who died was identified as SDR, who was in the sport doing this task for quite some time.
Bullfighting and its history of injuries/deaths
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Matadors are the people who actually take part in the bullfight and are controlling the bull. They often succumb to their injuries in a bid to master their game. In 2017, Ivan Fandino, a matador, died after a bull pierced him in the Aire-sur-l’Adour, France. There was another matador known as Juan Belmonte, who sustained grave injuries that scarred him for life.
One such horrific incident took place when matador Juan Jose Padilla, whose head was gored by the bull. This resulted in the loss of his left eye and facial paralysis. Even then, this incident did not deter him from entering the bullfight once again. He returned with multiple titanium plates in his skull and an eye patch. He was also given the moniker ‘The Pirate’.
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Bullfighting, at its core, is not a sport at all. Whether it’s the animal or the matador, it’s like harming either of them, which cannot be taken as a dose of entertainment. This merciless sport, as they call it, needs to stop. It’s shocking to see massive crowds still vying for this sport, which should ideally be extinct for good.