In bullfighting, do the bulls die?

Question

Because the matadors have swords. :*(

Answer 1

of course they die that's the POINT.

Answer 2

They do in Spain.  In most other countries where they fight bulls, (Mexico, Portugal, France, etc.) they just torture them for a while...I don't know how they know when the fight is over, but then they take them out and kill them anyway, to put them out of their misery.  

And, re Cee.lynn's comment. Her timing is a bit off. We went last year.  Seven bulls and done in two hours.  They don't toy with them that long.   And the point of "toying" with them, is that they want the bull to be very mad, making it more of a challenge for the matador.

It's important to note that the "barbaric sport" has its roots going back thousands, even millions of years.  Cave men taunted and fought with large animals to prove their bravery and as a rite of passage to manhood.  So, while we may be at a point in our evolution where we should be more humane, it IS an interesting custom to watch, especially for those of us who don't live where it is done.

Answer 3

That is the idea.  The matadors kill the bulls after toying with them.

Answer 4

Yes.   A traditional Bullfight is broken into stages as follows:

Stage 1: The picador stabs a mound of muscle on the bull's neck, leading to the animal's first loss of blood.

Stage 2: In the next stage, the tercio de banderillas ("the third of flags"), the three banderilleros each attempt to plant two razor sharp barbed sticks (called banderillas) on the bull's flanks, ideally as close as possible to the wound where the picador drew first blood. These further weaken the enormous ridges of neck and shoulder muscle through loss of blood, while also frequently spurring the bull into making more ferocious charges.

Stage 3: In the final stage, the tercio de muerte ("the third of death"), the matador re-enters the ring alone with a small red cape (muleta) and a sword.  He uses his cape to attract the bull in a series of passes, both demonstrating his control over it and risking his life by getting especially close to it. The faena (work) ends with a final series of passes in which the matador with a muleta attempts to maneuver the bull into a position to stab it between the shoulder blades and through the aorta or heart.

Answer 5

I dont want to get on a soapbox here, but honestly, bullfighting is a cruel, horrible "sport".  The bulls do often die after hours and hours of torment including having knifes, arrows and other sharp objects stabbed into them to make them angry. This happens during the running of the bulls in Spain too.  Its absolutely tragic and a horrific way for people to abuse animals for their own entertainment.