Two men have reportedly been killed by knife-wielding roosters in separate cockfights in India.
To mark the three-day celebration of the Hindu Makar Sankrati festival, people gathered to hold cockfights in the Kakinada and East Godavari districts on Sunday, according to reports.
During the incident in Kakinada, Gande Suryapraksha Rao, the 43-year-old owner of one of the fighting roosters, bled to death after being slashed by his prized cock.
Rao reportedly tied blades to his rooster before it became intimidated by the crowd. The bird then flew up and landed on Rao, causing the blades to severely slash his leg.
Although the man was rushed to a local hospital, he was later pronounced dead.
In a separate incident in the East Godavari district, a spectator identified as K. Padmaraju also bled to death after he was slashed in the hand.
Padmaraju, who was a resident of Ananthapalli, was reportedly standing too close to a cockfight when one of the bladed roosters sliced a key nerve in his hand.
The man bled out on the way to the hospital, where he was later declared dead.
Although cockfighting is illegal under India’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, it remains a common event, especially during the Sankranti celebrations.
In the banned practice, participants attach knives or blades to their roosters’ legs. Meanwhile, spectators bet on which rooster will win the fight.
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