Matador wipes away bloodied bull's 'tears' before killing it

Distressing footage showing a matador wiping the bloody 'tears' from a bull's face before killing it is circulating online and being heavily condemned for the cruelty shown towards the animal.

The incident, which many are referring to as "inhumane", took place at a bullfighting festival at the Real Maestranza bullring in Seville, the capital of southern Spain’s Andalusia region.

Warning: the video contains distressing scenes:

Morante de la Puebla, 39, was the matador responsible for harming and ultimately ending the life of the creature.

In the horrifying video, the wounded bull can be seen with four banderillas poking out of its body.

"Only a malicious and perverse mind could torture an animal until the blood pours down its legs and then wipe its face with a tissue," Silvia Barquero Nogales, leader of Spain's Animalist Party Against Mistreatment of Animals (PACMA), said. "The matador is just disguising his lack of empathy. Abolish bullfighting now!"

Credit: CEN

Many others have taken to Twitter to share their disgust over the matador's actions and bullfighting in general.

"Shame on you Seville," one critic wrote. "You are an embarrassment to Spain and a hideous example of animal torture 😡 #banbullfighting"

"This is the matador who wiped blood from the face of a bull before brutally killing it, only after stabbing it numerous times," added another. "This is the face of pure evil. Nothing can justify this disgusting & sadistic behaviour and it should never be called sport #AnimalCruelty #BullFighting".

Even actor and comedian Ricky Gervais, who often uses his platforms on social media to condemn the abuse of animals, spoke on the matter, calling the matador a "sequinned c**t" on Twitter.

In Spain, the blood sport's country of origin, bullfighting is still a divisive issue. While many people believe the practice is outdated and downright cruel, others insist it would be a shame to see it abolished as it's a long-standing Spanish tradition.