Bull Dies During Jallikattu

UPDATE: On 7May 2014, the Honourable Supreme Court of India banned jallikattu, bull races, bullfights and other uses of bulls in performances.

Inspectors authorised by the Animal Welfare Board of India, a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, report that during the jallikattu event held on Monday, 14 January 2013, in Avaniapuram, Madurai, a bull died from a head-on collision with a moving passenger bus because of the absence of a contained collection area for the bulls, which is a violation of the Madurai bench of the Chennai High Court guidelines that are intended to regulate jallikattu.

Participants forcing fluids, likely liquor, down the bulls’ throats.

The terrified bull ended up in the accident on the main road after running frantically away from jallikattu participants who had been chasing and deliberately agitating him. Other panicked bulls also ran from the jallikattu area onto the main road into the midst of oncoming traffic. The inspectors reported that no veterinarians could be found at the scene of the death and also witnessed cruelties, such as a person biting the tail of a bull, other people poking bulls with knives and twisting their tailbones and organisers poking and beating animals with wooden sticks and forcing fluids, likely liquor, down the bulls’ throats.

Panicked bull ran from the jallikattu area onto the main road into the midst of oncoming traffic.

Although the Ministry of Environment and Forests issued a notification which banned the use of bulls as performing animals – thereby banning jallikattu – the Tamil Nadu government is supporting and permitting jallikattu to be held throughout the state. Jallikattu supporters claim that the events are being held under High Court and Supreme Court guidelines. However, PETA contends that the guidelines are meaningless because they do not prevent the cruelty to animals inherent during jallikattu or stop participants and spectators from getting hurt. During jallikattu, terrified bulls are chased, kicked, punched, jumped on, dragged to the ground and otherwise tormented – acts that violate the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

Bull died from a head-on collision with a moving passenger during jallikattu.

PETA is calling on authorities to ban jallikattu since it puts both animals’ and people’s lives at risk. You can help by taking action here.