Spain
Bullfighting and other festivities
The San Fermin Festival is held every July since 1911 and is a popular tourist event despite the cruelty it implies for bulls. These animals have to run through the city streets to the bullring, where they are killed in front of thousands of spectators. Across Spain, hundreds of festivals that involve the use of bulls are held every year and generally end up with these animals being persecuted and tortured.
Bullfights are promoted as an important part of Spanish culture and many tourists attend these shows every year. Thousands of bulls each year are killed after being drugged and confused, stabbed several times to death. While bullfights are still legal in most of Spain, they are prohibited by law in Catalonia and the Canary Islands. Despite claims of the cultural importance of these shows, a recent survey has shown that 67% of Spaniards are not interested in attending the bullfights.
Among the most important bullfighting festivals in the country we note the “Bull of Coria” that takes place in Extremadura, where participants have to throw darts in the most sensitive parts of the bull's body, such as eyes, nose and testicles). At the end of the "celebration" the bull is beat or stabbed to death.
The "Toro de la Vega" is celebrated in Tordesillas, Valladolid and has hundreds of people, on foot and on horseback, chase and hit the bull with spears and other weapons until it collapses. When the animal lies on the ground, the person who does the "final hit" takes a trophy: the tail and / or the testicles of the animal More information.
Horse or donkey carriage rides
Romantic and nostalgic horse carriage rides in cities like Seville, Madrid or Saragossa are not so enjoyable for the animals, which are forced to work long hours, dragging heavy loads and often enduring extreme weather conditions.
Numerous animals spend all day exploited beyond their limits, while taking tourists through complicated terrain at bargain prices, often in the sun, with little shade, water and rest. These animals suffer from sunstrokes, wounds, beatings and injuries as a result of these "tourist experiences" and the economic benefit that their owners can gain from these activities is always above their animals´ welfare.
Horse carriages can have accidents with other vehicles, especially in cities with heavy traffic. The animals are usually trotting, which is too high a speed, as if it stops suddenly the carriage could crash into the animal. Moreover, the little rest that the animals get is usually in blocks located in the center of the city and, often, in inappropriate conditions.
In Mijas (Andalusia), donkey taxis are available, with animals used to transport tourists through the cobbled streets of the historic center. More information.
Bird shows
In many Spanish sites (especially in the South of the country and on the islands) it is possible to see birds (especially parrots) caged in common areas of hotels or attend shows with them. Even in some markets you can find parrots, cockatoos and other birds as an attraction for tourists to take pictures with them. Also, in many zoos there are shows in which they are forced to carry out unnatural behaviours. Although it may not be visible at first sight, these animals suffer very hard living conditions, are trained through violence or food handling and in many cases have mutilated wings.
We advise tourists not to attend this type of shows and also to inform those responsible for their hotel about their concern. More information.
Ostrich rides
In Mallorca (Balearic Islands), some farms offer tourists the chance to ride ostriches or do races on their backs, in attempt to take advantage of these animals beyond their meat and feathers.
Far from being a harmless activity for ostriches, these races cause injuries and even deaths. Ostriches suffer a lot of stress and often experience serious falls and sometimes even collapse to the ground due to overexertion. In Spain, this activity is almost exclusively centered in Mallorca. More information.
Camel rides
In Lanzarote (Canary Islands), tourists have the possibility to hire a camel ride. This type of activity, if not carried out in a responsible manner and taking into account the needs of the animals, can involve serious problems, such as those detailed here.
National Parks
Spain has 13 National Parks, which offer tourists the chance to explore a great variety of green areas. For those interested in wildlife observation, there is no better park than the Cantabrian Mountains (Cordillera Cantábrica), which provides home to some of the most threatened animals in Spain, including the brown bear. At the beginning of the 20th century, around 1,000 bears lived in the wild, however, as a result of hunting and destruction of their natural habitat, their population was reduced to only 100 animals.
People interested in ornithological tourism can find interesting information on the SEO Birdlife website that includes a map of committed professionals, bird reserves and natural spaces for sightings in Spain.
Bear watching
In Spain, among other types of wildlife observing, it is possible to participate in bear watching, which is usually carried out on excursions organized and led by an expert guide. There are also observation sites with pathways and hiding places to observe these animals in a semi-organized way. Both to prevent accidents and to safeguard these animals, it is important to be very clear about the general principles and guidelines of this type of wildlife watching which can be consulted here.
Diving and dolphinariums
Spain is one of the best places in Europe for diving, with more than 4,000 kilometers of diverse coastline that meets the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Diving offers tourists the opportunity to discover the marine life of Spain in its natural habitat, which is a much more ethical alternative than visiting one of the many aquariums in the country. Spain is also the country with the most dolphinariums (11) and captive cetaceans in Europe and obviously, tourists who do not want to encourage the exploitation of these animals should not pay to visit these centers. More information here and here.
Dog sledding
Although at first glance it may seem like a harmless activity, mushing is still the use of animals for human entertainment, and sometimes business, either to entertain tourists or to compete. That said, although in many cases it is carried out in a responsible manner, sometimes there may be cases of abuse, neglect, overexploitation or mistreatment. In Spain, most of the centers that offer this activity keep their animals in poor conditions and each year animal protection organizations receive complaints from the people who witness it. More information.
Cruel traditions
In various villages throughout Spain, traditional festivals are held in which animals are used in order to injure or slaughter them.
Cruel festivals with equids: During the Fiestas de Peropalo in Villanueva de la Vera, Cáceres, a donkey is being pushed, and in the Romería del Rocío, Huelva, every year horses, donkeys and oxen die. In Saucedo, Pontevedra, Rapa das Bestas is celebrated with several horses being enclosed and having their mane forcefully cut. The Luminarias de San Antonio Abad, in the provinces of Huelva, Ávila, Castellón and others, force horses, mules and donkeys to jump over bonfires.
Cruel festivals with domesticated birds: In Valdés, Asturias; Puerto de Sagunto, Valencia and Roses, Girona, freshwater ducks are released into the sea for the bathers to catch them. Cockfights are legal in the Canary Islands and Andalusia. During the festivities of San Blas in Cazalilla, Jaén, a turkey is thrown from the top of the bell tower. In the geese runs, Carpio del Tajo, Toledo; Lekeito, Vizcaya and other villages, geese are hung on a rope and youngsters play aiming to tear their heads off.
Cruel festivals with pigs: The Agarrada dos Porcos, in A Valenzá, Orense, is considered illegal. Raffles of live pigs are held in many places in Castilla la Mancha, Castilla León, Andalucía and Valencian Community.
Cruel festivals with rodents: During the rat battles in El Puig, Valencia, rats are killed and used as weapons in a fight between people. In Medició dels espies in Biar, Alicante, mice or hamsters are chased until they are caught or stepped on.
Cruel festivals with goats: During the festivities of San Juan in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, the goat herds are taken to the sea be bathed in salt water. More information here.
Recommended projects and rescue centers:
C.R.A.R.C es el Centro de Recuperación de Anfibios y Reptiles de Cataluña
Centro de Reproducción de Tortugas de la Albera
Centro de rescate de primates Rainfer
GREFA (Grupo de Rehabilitación de la Fauna Autóctona y su Hábitat)
