Argentina
La Vincha bullfighting
Bullfights are prohibited in Argentina, although some festivals still include “simulated bullfights”. Every August, thousands of tourists and locals head to the town of Casabindo to witness the show called "El Toreo de la Vincha", or La Vincha bullfighting. The bull does not die in this festival and instead, the 'matadores' have to catch a headband from the bull's horns. Although the bull does not end up killed, this show still causes huge stress to the animals involved.
More information on the topic.
Pigeon hunting
Some agencies offer pigeon hunting trips to Argentina, also indicating that you can shoot more than 1000 cartridges a day. There are no regulations regarding this type of activity, so every year an incalculable amount of these birds are killed in the name of sport.
More information about hunting.
Zoos
The Luján Zoo, located in the city of the same name in the Province of Buenos Aires, is known for its unusual offer allowing visitors to have direct contact and even ride wild animals such as tigers, lions and elephants. These animals are always seen exhausted, asleep or tired. Years ago it has been suspected that these animals are sedated to induce them to this state. Unfortunately, the authorities do not seem to intent to close this place, despite the many protests, criticisms and requests for closure of the site.
In the whole country, there are a lot of zoos that seem to be far from any current regulations.
More information here and here.
Dressage riding
Dressage riding is a “sport” from the gaucho culture. Formerly gauchos inhabited the vast pampas and today some traditions have remained in the community as folklore. In this activity, the rider must remain on the back of a wild horse for a certain amount of time, while hitting him with a whip and driving spurs into its body. Obviously, the horse tries to let itself go and throw the rider off, which is the aberrant attraction of this show. The riding is more typical of rural areas, but it has its recognition, and the National Dressage and Folklore Festival is celebrated once a year in Jesús María, Córdoba. Renowned singers participate in this festival to complete the show year after year. Currently there are proposals for the Jesús María Festival not to continue, due to the hurt it causes to animals.
Rural exhibition
It is a tradition created decades ago by the Argentine Rural Society, which brings its animals (cows, sheep, calves) to its central property every year in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, making them travel a large number of kilometers from the countryside to the city for hours and exhibiting them in front of a massive crowd which visits the site for days. The last exhibition (in 2013) had a huge number of 4500 animals used for this type of show.
Stray animals
Argentina has a large number of stray animals, which often live in very poor conditions and are usually controlled by cruel slaughter methods. Luckily, there are more and more non-governmental organizations, shelters and volunteers who work to welcome these animals and especially to promote the importance of sterilization and adoption versus purchase. If you encounter such animals, you can help them by giving them some food and water, but avoiding close interaction with them as rabies is widespread throughout the country.
More information.
Horse carriage rides
Romantic and nostalgic horse carriage rides 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.
More information.
Cargo mules and donkeys
In Argentina, specifically in the Aconcagua Provincial Park area, some companies offer a "luggage transport" service that can have serious implications for animals. These companies offer mules as a means of transporting the luggage of mountaineers and tourists, carrying up to 60 kg of luggage on their backs. In fact, on some occasions, mules also have to transport people along ravines full of stones and steep slopes. This type of terrain can cause landslides and falling rocks that can endanger tourists and animals.
The conditions are such that during ice melting season, serious accidents can occur at river crossings because, due to melting ice, rivers can become more dangerous by dragging the mules and this may end up in the loss of some luggage and the death of some of these animals. Apart from the luggage which exceeds 55 kg in some cases, the terrain and weather conditions, in some cases, are also a determining factor for the health and safety of all the mules that are used as a means of luggage transport.
Dolphinaria
In this country you can also find centers which keep cetaceans (dolphins, killer whales or beluga whales) in captivity. Science has shown that these intelligent animals suffer greatly in the limiting conditions of dolphinaria and their stress levels and mortality rates are very high.
The training of these animals for circus shows where they perform totally unnatural behaviors, and which can harm them physically, is achieved through keeping the animals in a permanent state of hunger so that they act in exchange for a piece of dead fish.
Condemned by their facial structure, which resembles a human smile, these highly social animals, which would swim long distances and dive into great depths in the wild, are used to perform stunts in small concrete tanks. Many of these individuals are taken from the wild.
For more information: SOSdelfines.
Recommended rescue centers:
Here is a list of local NGOs that can be contacted in case you want to make a donation, a complaint or find an animal that needs help in Argentina:
A.P.A.M. - Asociación Protectora de Animales de Puerto Madryn
CPCA Centro de prevención de crueldad animal
APAN, Asociación protectora de animales Salta Argentina
APA la Plata Asociación protectora de animales
APADE, Asociación protectora de animales de Ezeiza
Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina
