Different sorts of inhumane sports involving animals including bullfighting, bear baiting and dog fighting take place in the world. But inhumane sports — also rendered cruel sports — which refer to the activities that involve cruelty, harm, or exploitation of animals or humans for entertainment purposes often disregard the well-being and dignity of the participants and perpetuate a culture of violence and insensitivity towards animals. According to multiple sources including the BBC and CNN, inhumane sports take place in many countries including, but not limited to, Mexico, Colombia, China, Spain and South Korea. But voices against different cruel sports involving animals have also increased in different countries of the world.
It is notable that cruel sports have physical, emotional and other impacts on humans and animals. While participating animals suffer physically and psychologically in cruel fighting activities including deaths and severe injuries, it is important to acknowledge that humans experience physical harm. Individuals involved in organizing and participating in bullfighting and dog fighting and spectators sometimes face serious injuries or even death due to the dangerous nature of the sports. In 2016, for instance, a 29-year-old matador, the person who faces and confronts the bull in the ring, was fatally gored by a bull in Spain and died later. Moreover, the emotional toll of cruel sports leads to long-term psychological trauma, including anxiety disorders, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder among humans.
But there are controversies over the inhumane sports involving animals. The debate on inhumane sports revolves around the ethical treatment of animals and the potential harm they endure for the sake of entertainment for humans. Critics often argue that some sports activities including bullfighting, dog fighting and cockfighting are cruel and should be banned due to the physical and psychological suffering they inflict upon the animals involved. Proponents — on the other hand — often defend these sports as cultural traditions, point out their importance for the amusement and argue that these sports should be preserved. But even if these sports uphold the traditional cultures, they are cruel, go against animal rights and lead to many negative impacts.
Diverse steps have been taken in different countries to address cruel sports and reduce harmful effects. The Universal Declaration of Animal Rights is a crucial step that promotes the ethical treatment of animals and condemns activities that cause them unnecessary suffering, which encompasses cruel sports as well. But it is not legally binding. Additionally, different countries including the United Kingdom and Spain implement stricter regulations on cruel sports including bullfighting and impose fines and penalties for unethical practices including any mistreatment or harm inflicted upon the animals involved. Among others, organizations focus on raising awareness about the negative consequences of participating in or supporting cruel sports. But these steps have limited impacts.
Given that cruel sports are against animal wellbeing and have negative impacts, some sports including bullfighting need to be given a rethought. It is also crucial to promote a more compassionate and sustainable approach to sports. But there is inadequate enforcement of existing laws and a lack of comprehensive legislation in different countries. While some progress has been made, including banning certain forms of animal fighting, there is still a long way to go in terms of effective regulation and punishment for offenders. Additionally, the focus is given less on addressing the root causes including societal attitudes towards animals and the lack of awareness on animal welfare.
Steps need to be taken to address concerns with inhuman sports. Stricter regulations and enforcement should be put in place to ensure that animals are not subjected to unnecessary harm or cruelty during sporting events and reduce the impacts on animals and humans. It is also imperative to emphasize awareness raising steps about the ethical concerns surrounding inhumane sports and encourage boycotting such events. But organizations and governing bodies may increasingly collaborate with animal welfare groups to develop alternative and humane forms of entertainment — which do not involve exploiting/harming animals.
