Brutal bull fighting is livelihood for some in rural Haiti

A man yells as he and others gather to watch two bulls made to fight each other in Leogane, Haiti. Matches typically end when a bull retreats, although the animals are often injured from the fight.

Hehe! It's almost a tradition on the face of the earth. Aside from Nigeria, the bull fighting culture is also been practiced in Haiti. 

In rural Haiti, gambling extends beyond slot machines and poker tables.

The Haitian tradition of fighting bulls is similar to a cock or dog fight, but on a larger scale, as the animals are bigger and the stakes higher. More than a century old, bull fighting is a casual pastime for some men, but for many it is a means to pay for a car, food, or their children’s schooling.

People play borlettes on the sidelines of a bull fight. This small-scale betting fits into Haiti's larger gambling culture that includes these 'borlettes,' guadily-painted outlets that play on New York State Lottery numbers and cock fighting. The winners of this specific betting game are awarded cans of condensed milk.


People gather to watch a fight between bulls that they organised on a banana farm.

A man sharpens the horn of a bull that will be made to fight another bull. When the owners are satisfied with the bets, two bulls are released to charge into a bone-rattling collision that often gores the animals.


Men make bets on bulls before a fight. Pots can grow to 36,000 Haitian gourdes (equal to $775 USD). Bettors say choosing a winner often involves relying on spiritual visions.

A bull goes after a man with his horns, which were previously sharpened with a knife as it runs away from a fight with another bull.



Townspeople gather in a crowd to make bets and watch the bulls fight. Lunging or digging their legs into the soil, the animals battle while men shout and wave money.

Men celebrates after their bull won a fight

Men congratulates a bull that won a fight.

A man sits on the rope holding his bull by the neck as he waits to enter it in a bull fught.

A man sprayed water on his bull after he entered his bull in a fight.

A man pulls his bull by a rope before entering him in a fight against another bull.








Photo: DIEU NALIO CHERY/ASSOCIATED PRESS

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