In Latin America and Europe combined, approximately 250,000 bulls die each year. Do these bulls fall prey to a deadly virus, perhaps? Far from it. The bulls are tortured and killed for the sake of entertainment. Have we evolved at all since the Roman times?
Latest polls show that over 72% of Spanish citizens have no interest in bullfighting, yet, because of a small group of influential people in Spain, this inhumane tradition is being kept alive. Fortunately, in Europe and Latin America a growing segment of the population is standing up against bullfighting and calling for an end to this cruel spectacle.
Here to talk about bullfighting and what we can do to help is Alyx Dow, Programmes Officer (Anti-Bullfighting) for the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA).
Thank you for this interview, Alyx. Could you start by giving us some historical information on how bullfighting began? What is its origin?
There is not much specific information on how or where bullfighting began, but it is thought to date back to Roman times when many different species of animal were killed for the sake of entertainment in public arenas.
Bulls were also sacrificed for religious purposes and more recently, bullfights were (and often still are) held on Sundays, as part of Christian Saints festivals.
Most people associate bullfighting with Spain. Besides Spain, which other countries practice bullfighting?
Within Europe, bullfighting can be found in Spain, France, and Portugal. Approximately 40,000 bulls die in bullfights every year in Europe.
In Latin America, bullfighting can be found in Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. ‘Bloodless’ bullfights can also be found in the USA. Approximately 210,000 bulls in bullfights die every year in Latin America.
Does bullfighting differ according to the country? If so, in what way?
There are three types of bullfighting ‘styles’ – Spanish, French, and Portuguese. The Spanish version is the most common across both Europe and Latin America. Bulls die in both the Spanish and Portuguese versions, although in the Portuguese style it happens behind the scenes, after the bullfight has finished. The French style does not lead to the death of the bull but is also very stressful for the animals involved.
A lot of people ignore what really happens during a bullfight. They have a simple, even romantic image of a torero taunting a bull and of one final thrust of the sword bringing death to the animal. What exactly takes place during a bullfight?
Article comments
1 - Stanley Conrad
There appears to be something askew in the statistics cited.
250,000 bulls a year would supply almost 42,000 bullfights (each normally using six bulls).
Reaching that number of bullfights in a year would require 114 bullfights a day, 365 days in a row.
That is an almost laughably inflated number.
The interviewee goes on to imply that Latin America holds five times more bullfights each year than do the taurine countries in Europe.
This is an Americas:Europe ratio that bears absolutely no resemblance to reality (i.e., to the overwhelmingly greater number in Europe each year).
Surely the WSPA and/or BC Magazine could use fact checkers.
2 - Jordan Richardson
Good article, Mayra.
Stanley, do you have any facts to offset those used in the article? The appearance of the "laughably inflated numbers" as such doesn't make them untrue. The notion of children dying in Africa seems, to me, to be an incredibly high number. Yet I don't doubt its veracity simply because I can't fathom it. Perhaps if you provided some statistics of your own before chastizing the interviewee or the author of the article, your words would have more validity. Not trying to be rude, just looking for clarity.
3 - Christopher Rose
Having lived in Spain for over 6 years, I learned a bit about bullfighting.
The Spanish actually consider it more of an art form than a sport and, when pressed to explain it, the best defence they can come up with is that it is part of their culture.
It is certainly NOT a sport because the bulls are actually especially bred and chosen not to be too aggressive or violent, so as to make the matadors look better.
Spanish style bullfighting is particularly unfair not only for this but the way the animals are deliberately weakened before the matador does his thing.
I much prefer Portuguese style bullfighting in which the matadors get in a line one behind the other and have direct face to face impacts with the bull, adding more and more matadors until they can stop the beast in its tracks. Now that is impressive!
4 - Mayra Calvani
Thanks for the compliment, Jordan.
Stanley, the WSPA is a serious, legitimate, and well-respected organization. I doubt they would throw wild statistics and risk their credibility.
BUT ultimately, it doesn't make a difference if it's 100 bulls or 100,000. What they do to the bulls in bullfights is sadistic, cruel and inhumane, and it should be stopped.
5 - Stanley Conrad
I don't think you were being rude Jordan. The best I can do for statistics is to point you to the website of the Spanish Interior Ministry. They have online a summary report of the statistics from the "taurine" season of 2007.
On page 88 you'll see a table showing the number of bullfights in all areas of Spain during 2007, and the total number is 5,992 -- that would be roughly 40,000 bulls killed. That is roughly the number reported for "all Europe" by the WSPA interviewee.
How Mayra got to the total of 210,000 for Europe and Latin America combined (a figure five times higher than for Spain alone) is the problematic number.
I don't have any quick access to numbers for Latin America similar to those of the Spanish Interior Ministry, but there should be no doubt that it is a far, far, far smaller number than that for Spain.
Documenting this last assertion hardly seems necessary. It's as obvious on its face as the assertion that there are more bagpipe players in Scotland than in Nova Scotia.
6 - Stanley Conrad
I wasn't trying to suggest, Mayra, that the WSPA is not serious, well-respected, or legitimate. I was simply making a comment about the statistics used in the WSPA's statements.
The ultimate argument, as you suggest, is a moral/ethical/cultural one, not a quantitative commodity issue.
But if the 1st statistic reported by the WSPA interviewee is this far facially out-of-whack, it does beg for the interviewer to have inquired about the origin of the numbers.
PS -- sorry if, in previous comments, I may have referred to you as the interviewee. That was unintentionally sloppy on my part.
7 - Marcia Neil
'Bullfighting' does not necessarily mean 'bullkilling' and perhaps the org seeks a way to prosecute cruelty incidents. [in Stuart, FL]
8 - Jordi Casamitjana
I can clarify for you some of the figures discussed here. The numbers shown in the article are the best estimations known at the moment, and include all the bullfighting bulls killed by the bullfighting industry, not only in bullfights as suggested here. The Spanish Ministry of interior figures only show bulls killed in official permanemt bullrings. To that number you have to add those killed in mobile bullrings (which are many, going from town to town), those killed in private bullrings (not open to the general public), those in bullfighting schools (children learning to kill bull do that in these schools, where many bulls and cows die), those in 'fiestas' without bullrings (such as several types of running of the bulls, etc), and finally all those bullfighting bulls that, for one reason or another, are killed when they do not measure up to be sold to a official bullring (bullfighting bulls are bred by the industry and are killed by the industry when there is no more use for them; bulls can live an average of 12 years or so but they hardly every live more than 6 because the industry kill them well before they are old).
In terms of comparing Europe and America, these days there are more bullfights taking place in America than in Europe. In Europe we only have bullfighting in Portugal, South of France, and Spain (although there are very few in the North of the Peninsula Iberica), but in America you found bullfighting industries in Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, USA and Mexico (this last country is very big and has many bullrings all over).
So, WSPA's estimations are the closest to reality that I can find.
9 - None
I believe bull fighting is very cruel. We should definitly put an end to such a cruel sport. I know many people dont like to call it a sport, but even if its not i dont find it imppresive or amusing I would never go watch something so cruel and sad. I think all the types of bull fighting should be put to an end. Wether the person thinks its imppressive or not, its not right to the animal. I would never find this kind of thing cool or amusing, its very sad and cruel.
10 - Raymond M. Denton
Could we use our intelligence for more forth right purposes other than disregaurd of an animal's dignity. They have no rights being that most of their well being is supported by society. If we use their lives and natural insticts, under most likely most of the time artificial situations as entertainment we really have not aquired the G-d conscienousness. We in reality need animals more than they need us for sustanence. They have not built use a shelter from their cruelty and neglect. We need to rise above our conditioned attitude that they are lesser life forms and are at our disposal. I do not eat animals as much as eggs. I am also not unrealistic, I am not a vegetarian. If my life did depend on eating an animal I would most likely eat it. But I have a choice. I think of it in terms of life for life not mindless abuse and a craving for a steak.
11 - sarah cooper
I believe that bullfighting is very cruel and I have heard that the bull is tormented to the state where it has no chance that it will survive as it has poisoned arrows stuck in it's neck. I have heard of no-one that wants this to carry on and would love it to stop.
12 - M. Lewis
Stanley, you just don't get it.