Not Spain or Mexico: This is the country where bullfighting is growing in popularity

In some ways, Bullfighting is like any other sport - you either love it or loathe it, but when it comes to all matters taurino, most people are rarely indifferent. Synonymous particularly with Spain, bullfighting’s image may have taken a knock in recent years with some of the younger generation viewing the sport as outdated, and animal rights groups claiming it is cruel.

Bullfighting’s popularity

But in some ways, bullfighting is actually enjoying a resurgence in Spain with a total of 20,950 bullfighting hosted events nationwide this year. Most Spaniards says they don’t consider themselves fans of bullfighting but less than half would want to see Congress remove national cultural protection for the sport. In fact, a recent attempt to do was thrown out before it even reached parliament.

The bullfighting tradition is alive and well in eight countries (Spain, France, Portugal, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Ecuador) and has been banned by law in most other places. Surprisingly, bullfighting is growing in East Africa - but not man versus bull.

In Kakamega County, Kenya, an annual bullfight is held after harvest. Two prize bulls scrap it out for five minutes until one has enough and runs away - and locals place bet on who they think will be the winner.

Celebrity bulls

Some fighting bulls have become so popular that they have turned into national celebrities like Shakahola and Promise, both sensations on social media.

Bullfighting in western Kenya goes back decades but has been growing in popularity in recent years. What started out as entertainment is now an event that draws massive crowds and has become an indistry in itself.

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