Devastating images have emerged of young bulls being tortured to death by trainee bull fighters.
Some of these student bullfighters are said to be under the age of 18, with the disturbing footage having been taken in Cordoba, Spain.
The footage – which has been widely condemned by Spanish animal rights campaigners – shows one of the dying calves having their ears cut off and handed to children. One boy was given the animal’s severed tail.
One of the young matadors appears to have been been injured during the horrific event, with blood visible on his face.
As reported by the MailOnline, activists from Animal Guardians and La Tortura No Es Cultura (Torture Is Not Culture) have explained how this is an annual tradition in Cordoba which is intended to pay homage to Cordovan women.
According to the MailOnline, Marta Esteban from Animal Guardians said:
Every year they do this calf-fighting and they say they do it as a homage to Cordovan women,
Very few people attend, about 2,000 in a 17,000-capacity bullring. They also do it to promote the students learning bullfighting at different bullfighting schools in Andalusia.
Esteban explained how the ears and tails are given to bullfighters who perform well:
The ear and/or tail of the animals are offered to the bullfighters if they perform well and then these are given to the public as a ‘present’.
As you see in the video, one of the animals is still alive when the ear is cut off. The other ear is moving while they do that.
We cannot know the exact age of the bullfighting students involved. Some look under 18. They can kill animals from 14 years on. So those would be the ones actually torturing and performing in the bullfight.
Then there are spectators of any age and those who are invited into the bullring in their typical Cordovan costumes to pick up the ears.
Campaigners have explained how these calves would probably suffer more during this yearly event, with the inexperience of the trainee matadors prolonging their pain.
Campaigners are now asking women to send complaints to council chiefs in Cordoba, making it clear that they do not want this gory spectacle to be performed in their name.
Women are also being encouraged to share their disgust of the sport using the hashtag #NoQuieroTuHomenaje, which translates as ‘I do not want your homage’.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.