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Posted: 31st January 2013

Bullfighting event threatens condors
Large bird put at risk by Peru's Yawar Fiestas

 Bull fight festivals in Peru are threatening the Andean condor, a rare bird that is the national symbol of not just Peru, but also Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Columbia and Ecuador.

Yawar Fiestas are held multiple times throughout the year in the Cusco region, in celebration of freedom from colonial influence, however, their growing regularity is causing a major threat to the last few hundred of Peru's condors.

The Andean condor is the largest bird in the western hemisphere and, despite being hailed as sacred by Peruvians, is treated with little respect at these festivals.

Each Yawar Fiesta sees a condor strapped to the back of a raging bull, resembling a mythological-looking beast with both wings and horns. As the hybrid charges into the bullring, the condor struggles and flaps its wings in an attempt to keep its balance.

The birds are kept in captivity prior to the event and can be seen dressed up and paraded through the street, pulled by the tips of their wings before the bullring ordeal. Afterwards, the bird is released, but the trauma often leaves them struggling to fly and survive in the wild.

"We do know there are 55 Yawar Fiestas a year, some of which using up to five condors," says Robert Williams of the Frankfurt Zoological Society. "We know of cases of broken legs, broken wings, dislocated legs, complete death during the first rear if the bull turns over, etcetera.

"It's absolutely illegal to capture the condors, protected by a presidential decree from 2004… It's a strange situation because you go to the Yawar Fiesta and there's the governor, the mayor, the police, the judge – there're all participating in something that's clearly illegal."

The number of festivals continue to increase as Peru grows wealthier, with more and more status-seeking villages acting as sponsors. According to Williams, many towns have only been holding Yawar Fiestas in the last 20 to 40 years, but locals say they are a very important tradition.

Estimating there may be just 300-500 condors left in the wild in Peru, Williams adds: "It would be very sad if [condors die out] and, actually, if we cant conserve the Andean condor here in Cusco, we probably can't conserve it anywhere."



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