Travel // Attractions to Avoid // Bullfights and Running of the Bulls

Attractions to Avoid

Bullfights and Running of the Bulls

The term "bullfighting" is a misnomer, as there is little competition between a horde of sword- and spear-wielding men and a confused, maimed, drugged, tormented, and debilitated bull. Every year, tens of thousands of bulls are murdered during bullfights in Mexico, France, Spain, Portugal, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and other countries.

In a typical bullfight, the bull enters the arena, and picadors—men on blindfolded horses—drive lances into the animal's back and neck muscles to impair his ability to lift his head. They twist and gouge the lances to ensure blood loss. Then, banderilleros—men on foot with brightly colored sticks—run the bull in circles until he is disoriented. Finally, the matador appears and, after provoking a few exhausted charges from the dying animal, tries to kill the bull with his sword. If he misses, succeeding only in further mutilation, an executioner is called in to stab the exhausted animal to death. The dagger is supposed to cut the spinal cord, but even this can be blundered, leaving the bull fully conscious but paralyzed as his ears and tail are cut off and he is chained by his horns and dragged from the arena.

Tourists from the U.S. and other countries where bullfighting is illegal keep the cruel industry alive by buying tickets to bullfights when they visit countries in which it is legal. Even if they leave the event early in disgust—as many do—the damage has already been done.

If you are planning to visit a country that permits bullfighting, please tell your travel agent not to book any resort packages that include tickets to bullfights. Visit the Spanish towns that have banned bullfighting: Barcelona, Tossa de Mar, Vilamacolum, and La Vajol. In Mexico, the city of Jalapa has also banned bullfighting.

The annual "Running of the Bulls" in Pamplona, Spain, is simply a cruel preamble to bullfights. The terrified animals are forced to race through crowded streets, their hooves slipping on the pavement. They often crash into buildings or fall, breaking their legs and horns. Human runners and spectators gouge them with sticks or pull their tails. All the bulls are killed later in the day in bullfights.

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