Two men have been killed by knife-wielding roosters during controversial cockfighting events in India.
Barbaric cockfighting events have been the subject of controversy for years, with many agreeing that forcing terrified roosters to fight to the death should not be allowed to happen.
As per the Humane Society, as of 2021, cockfighting became illegal in all states across the US with 42 penalizing it as a felony.
In India, cockfighting has long been a tradition and, despite being banned in the country since 1960, it can still draw crowds of people who often want to place wagers on the fights.
As reported by the New Indian Express, two people attending an illegal cockfighting event have died after being struck by knife-wielding birds, causing them to die by loss of blood. The news was subsequently reported in outlets such as the New York Post and the Mirror.
The first incident occurred on Sunday (January 15) when 43-year-old Gande Suryapraksha Rao was attempting to attach knives to the legs of his rooster as he prepared it to fight.
The scared bird became spooked by the crowd and stabbed his owner in the leg. He was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
The second fatality reportedly happened at a separate event on the same day. Padma Raju, 20, was standing close to the cockfighting arena when a bird became scared and flew into the crowd.
A knife attached to the bird's leg struck Raju on the hand, severing a nerve and causing him to bleed profusely. He died as a result of the injury.
Both of the events were part of the Hindu Makar Sankranti festival, which took place in Kakinada and East Godavari, respectively.
As per the Mirror, one attendee said: "Cockfights are the biggest attractions in Godavari and parts of Krishna and Guntur districts during the three-day Sankranti festival."
Despite extreme criticism, the events continue to be popular, with birds costing between 10,000 rupees ($123) and 500,000 rupees ($6100).
This isn't the first instance of human death at a cockfighting event. In 2021, a man was struck in the groin by his knife-wielding rooster and also died as a result of blood loss as he made his way to the hospital.
Despite being banned, hundreds of animals lose their lives each year in these horrific events.
