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Huge bull sparks panic after jumping barrier at Murcia bullring
The 508kg animal caused chaos after twice clearing the barrier during the Feria de Murcia bullfight
An enormous 508kg bull caused panic at Murcia's bullring on Sunday after jumping over the barrier and twice making its way into the narrow passageway surrounding the arena.
The dramatic incident happened during the final event of Murcia's 2026 Feria Taurina, with the bull, named Malacara, forcing people in the callejón to quickly get out of its way.
The black bull from the Los Espartales ranch was the sixth and final animal of the afternoon and was assigned to Portuguese rejoneador Duarte Fernandes, who takes part in bullfighting on horseback.
Malacara caused the first scare shortly after entering the ring when it suddenly cleared the barrier separating the arena from the callejón.
Footage recorded by a spectator shows the huge animal launching itself over the wooden barrier, with people in the passageway scrambling to move away.
The bull was eventually returned to the arena, but that wasn't the end of the drama. Malacara managed to jump the barrier for a second time, this time near the burladero de capotes, an area used by bullfighters and their teams as a place of refuge.
The Plaza de Toros de Murcia later confirmed that the sixth bull had “jumped twice into the exit passageway”.
Fortunately, nobody was injured in either incident, although the people caught in the animal's path were given a very real reminder of just how quickly a bullfight can become dangerous.
The incident has also highlighted one of the reasons bullfighting and bull-running events remain controversial. Supporters regard them as an important part of Spanish cultural tradition, while critics point to the risks to people as well as concerns about the treatment and killing of the animals involved.
Incidents such as this one demonstrate that the danger isn't necessarily confined to those taking part in the event itself, as people working around the ring or sitting nearby can also find themselves unexpectedly in the path of a powerful animal.
Image: Pepín Liria at the Plaza de Toros de Murcia, 2007. Sebasgs / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
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