Bull Gores Matador, Shocked Spectators Look On

10/13/2011

In a macabre twist of fate, a bull brutally gored a matador during a bullfighting match in Spain last week, tearing through the man's jaw and pushing out his eyeball as spectators watched in horror.

The 1,120-pound animal chased the bullfighter and pinned him to the ground, goring him after he tripped. Television images caught the horrifying scene. There is also a YouTube video here that shows the whole horrific scene unfold. 

The bull, named Marques, was the second fighting beast Padilla had faced during the second day of the annual Virgen del Pilar festivities in Zaragoza. Padilla was subsequently rushed to medical attention and the New York Daily News reports that he is now in stable condition after a five-hour operation to repair his face.

Padilla is likely to suffer facial paralysis and lose sight in one eye and reports indicate that surgeons used titanium plates and mesh to reconstruct parts of Padilla's face.

What do you think of bullfighting?