Death During Running of the Bulls: Man Gored by Likely Terrified Bull
Forced into chaos for human entertainment, a bull named Mosquetero charged through the streets of Ubrique, Spain, during the 10th Toro del Gayumbo running of the bulls. Cornered and likely terrified, he defended himself—and gravely injured a 57-year-old participant who was attempting to climb out of the street.
Unlike the man who died, Mosquetero the bull had no say in participating in the running of the bulls. He was tormented into a frenzy, forced to run while surrounded by screaming crowds. And after the bull run, he too will be killed: Organizers even boasted that his flesh, along with that of another bull used earlier in the day, would be sold in town following the event.
Ubrique’s Deadly Toro del Gayumbo: Cruel Spectacle With Predictable Result
When terrified animals are forced to charge through crowded streets, injuries and deaths are inevitable—for humans who choose to participate and for the bulls, who are almost always killed afterward.
During the Pamplona Running of the Bulls, event organizers fire a rocket to terrify the bulls into running, then the bulls are tormented by lines of screaming tourists, who frequently hit them as they pass. Bulls are skittish by nature, and panicked animals slip and slide down the narrow streets and often smash into walls, sustaining broken bones and other injuries.
Thanks, in part, to global campaigns by PETA entities and other animal rights groups, the vast majority of people around the world are opposed to abusing and slaughtering bulls for entertainment. Today, more than 125 Spanish towns and cities have declared themselves anti-bullfighting, and three of the autonomous regions of Spain—the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, and Catalonia—have banned the barbaric spectacle. When asked about the Toro del Gayumbo festival in Ubrique, locals also opposed it:
“This would have been a preventable death if our council did not promote these kinds of backward events under the guise of tradition. I am very old, and until a few years ago it was never traditional to release a bull down a short slope, something surreal in these times when most citizens want to protect animals and, of course, people, but those who govern us give permission because it brings them a few votes; that is what we are worth.” –Ubrique local Isabel Carrasco Romero
Help End Bullfights and Running of the Bulls Events
Thankfully, all deaths that occur during bullfights and Running of the Bulls events are entirely preventable if people don’t participate in or attend them. When tourists stop visiting the city during the festival, organizers won’t have the funds to continue this deadly event.
Stand with PETA as well as the majority of people in Spain and demand an end to the practice of torturing animals for human entertainment. Help PETA urge Spain’s prime minister to ban bullfights and bull runs nationwide.
