Slaughter of mother of bull that gored matador sparks outrage

The planned slaughter of the mother of a bull that gored a Spanish matador to death has sparked widespread criticism from citizens and animal rights groups.

Victor Barrio became the first bullfighter to die in the ring in more than three decades while fighting in front of an audience in the eastern town of Teruel on Saturday.

The 29-year-old matador was rushed to hospital after the bull's horn pierced his chest, but later died of his injuries. The animal was subsequently slaughtered.

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In accordance with tradition, the mother of the bull responsible is slaughtered in order to "kill off the bloodline", but thousands of people have taken to social media to voice their support for a campaign to stop the killing.

"No rite, tradition or custom based on a succession of deaths, fed by the blood and hatred, can be good for any society," declared the animal rights political party, PACMA, which started the campaign.

"We only know one ethical end to end all this: the total abolition of bullfighting festivities."

It remains unclear if the mother of the bull has already died, with local news outlets offering conflicting reports about the fate of the animal.

"For centuries, the sport has been seen as part of the fabric of Spanish life, but opposition to bullfighting has been gaining ground in recent years, with opinion on the issue dividing along party political lines," says the Daily Telegraph.

Opinion polls consistently show that support for bullfighting is falling among the Spanish population. Since 2007, the number of bullfights held in Spain has dropped from 953 to 398 in 2014, according to figures from the country's culture ministry, obtained by El Pais.

"The bullfighting sector recognises that it has lost ground to animal rights groups in the battle for public support," says the Spanish newspaper. "It is now doing all it can to garner political backing."