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Ram fighting is a blood sport between two rams (large-horned male sheep), held in a ring or open field. It is commonly found in sheep or goat husbandry culture in Africa, Asia and Europe. In Nigeria, Uzbekistan and Indonesia, ram fighting gains popularity among locals. Although categorized as a blood sport and an act of animal cruelty, ram fights rarely resulted in the death of the defeated ram, as the loser often is allowed to flee the arena.
In the wild, ram fights occurs naturally as a bovine behaviour to settle dominance hierarchy — a contest for alpha male status among virile rams, by ramming their heads into others. Traditionally, the male aggressiveness is not a desirable quality among sheep husbandry, as the sheep farmers prefer a docile sheep and eliminate the aggressive ones through series of selective breedings. This is the main practice of sheep domestication over time. However, farmers and shepherds traditionally may take ram fighting as an occasional pastime or entertainment, and look for this behaviour as the sign of virility, health, and also good gene and immune system.
In some cultures it has been developed into a "
The brutal world of sheep fighting: the illegal sport beloved by Algeria’s 'lost generation'
— '' The Guardian'' {{commons category, Ram fighting Animals in sport Baiting (blood sport) Sheep Cruelty to animals Articles containing video clips Animal combat organized by humans
Ram fighting is a blood sport between two rams (large-horned male sheep), held in a ring or open field. It is commonly found in sheep or goat husbandry culture in Africa, Asia and Europe. In Nigeria, Uzbekistan and Indonesia, ram fighting gains popularity among locals. Although categorized as a blood sport and an act of animal cruelty, ram fights rarely resulted in the death of the defeated ram, as the loser often is allowed to flee the arena.
History
In the wild, ram fights occurs naturally as a bovine behaviour to settle dominance hierarchy — a contest for alpha male status among virile rams, by ramming their heads into others. Traditionally, the male aggressiveness is not a desirable quality among sheep husbandry, as the sheep farmers prefer a docile sheep and eliminate the aggressive ones through series of selective breedings. This is the main practice of sheep domestication over time. However, farmers and shepherds traditionally may take ram fighting as an occasional pastime or entertainment, and look for this behaviour as the sign of virility, health, and also good gene and immune system.
In some cultures it has been developed into a "game
A game is a structured form of play (activity), play, usually undertaken for enjoyment, entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator s ...
" or a sport, or even held as "national pastime" which sometimes involves betting. Today in some countries, there are efforts to bring the fighting into mainstream by regulating the rules, ensure the fairness and the welfare of the fighting rams. In Uzbekistan, ram fighting is held as part of Asrlar Sadosi. In West Java, Indonesia, ram fighting is held as popular entertainment and ritual. It is associated with the town of Garut, near Bandung
Bandung ( su, ᮘᮔ᮪ᮓᮥᮀ, Bandung, ; ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of West Java. It has a population of 2,452,943 within its city limits according to the official estimates as at mid 2021, making it the fourth most ...
. In Nigeria, owners of the participating rams have made large investments to specially train their rams since their youth solely for competitions only, in which there are grand prizes, such as automotive vehicles, for the winners of these fights.
See also
* Cockfighting * Dog fighting * Beta fightingReferences
External links
The brutal world of sheep fighting: the illegal sport beloved by Algeria’s 'lost generation'
— '' The Guardian'' {{commons category, Ram fighting Animals in sport Baiting (blood sport) Sheep Cruelty to animals Articles containing video clips Animal combat organized by humans