A cockfight in the central-western Mexican city of Colima turned into a bloodbath after a battle rooster turned against his master, according to local media reports.
Footage from the cockpit, circulating online, shows two men pitting their roosters against one another for a fight. The birds appear to be wearing artificial spurs, enabling them to deliver maximum damage to their opponent.
One of the birds, however, decided to attack its master instead of the rival rooster, scoring multiple hits to his leg in a matter of seconds. The rooster owner eventually managed to grab his cock, with the opposing bird seizing the opportunity to deliver a few pecks on it.
The man also suffered an arm wound in the skirmish, yet it was not immediately clear which of the birds was responsible for it. The man then collapsed to the ground with blood pouring from his leg, as the cock had apparently penetrated a major vessel.
The cockfighting-watching crowd then rushed to bandage the man’s leg, dragging him out of the cockpit. Additional, extremely graphic footage taken in the aftermath of the incident shows the man suffered at least three deep slashes to his leg.
Cockfighting remains legal – or, at least, tolerated – throughout most of Mexico, with the bouts routinely taking place during regional fairs and other celebrations.