CIKAWAO, Indonesia (Reuters) – A gory fight to the death between snarling dogs and captured wild boars.
Gathered around a bamboo-walled arena, Indonesians in this remote part of Java island seem eager to watch the blood-curdling contests, known locally as ‘adu bagong’ (boar fighting). (Click http://reut.rs/2ynD5bl for a picture essay of these dog and boar fights)
Not surprisingly, animal rights activists are up in arms against the regular spectacle, which began in the 1960s when wild pig numbers in this area in West Java soared and they were hunted to protect crops.
Participants told Reuters the fights were a way to preserve a tradition of hunting in the area. There’s also a cash prize of up to $2,000 for the winning dog.Villagers react as they watch a contest fight between dogs and captured wild boars, known locally as ‘adu bagong’ (boar fighting), in Cikawao village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, September 24, 2017. REUTERS/Beawiharta
Villagers stand on a bamboo stage to watch a fight contest between dogs and captured wild boars, known locally as ‘adu bagong’ (boar fighting), in Cikawao village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, September 24, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaDog breeder Agus Badud’s dog sits in his cage after he got washed in Cibiuk village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, September 27, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaDog breeder Agus Badud washes his dog at his house in Cibiuk village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, September 27, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaA dog-handler leans on a dog cage during a fight contest between dogs and captured wild boars, known locally as ‘adu bagong’ (boar fighting), in Cikawao village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, September 24, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaDog breeder Agus Badud dries his dog at his house in Cibiuk village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, September 27, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaDog breeder Agus Badud’s wife and daughter wash dogs at their house at Cibiuk village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, September 27, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaHooves of a wild boar hang for dog training at Agus Badud’s house in Cibiuk village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, September 27, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaDog breeder Agus Badud’s daughter carries a dog to wash him at their house in Cibiuk village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, September 27, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaA dog-handler cleans blood from his dog which bit a boar in a fight during a contest, known locally as ‘adu bagong’ (boar fighting), in Cikawao village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, September 24, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaDog breeder Agus Badud’s family sit near the cage of their dog during a fight contest between dogs and captured wild boars, known locally as ‘adu bagong’ (boar fighting), in Cikawao village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, September 24, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaA street vendor smokes a cigarette as he waits for customers in Cikawao village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, October 12, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaA child holds his ram during a ram fight event in Cikawao village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, September 24, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaWomen plant onion in Cikawao village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, September 22, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaWomen eat their lunch as they take a break from planting beans in Cikawao village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, October 12, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaA woman stands in a field where she is planting beans in Cikawao village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, October 12, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaWomen share a joke as they walk to a paddy field in Cikawao village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, October 12, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaA woman buys fruits at a market in Cikawao village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, September 23, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaChildren play volleyball at an abandoned rice field in Cikawao village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, September 21, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaA student runs to a classroom after removing his shoes in Cikawao village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, September 23, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaA dog and wild boar fight during a contest, known locally as ‘adu bagong’ (boar fighting), in Cikawao village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, September 24, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaA dog and wild boar fight during a contest, known locally as ‘adu bagong’ (boar fighting), in Cikawao village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, September 24, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaA dog and wild boar fight during a contest, known locally as ‘adu bagong’ (boar fighting), in Cikawao village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, September 24, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaHigh-school students ride motorcycles after finishing classes at school in Cikawao village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, September 22, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaEntin (L) holds her son as she shares some family time with her husband in Cikawao village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, October 11, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaA Muslim student holds a book in a class at a school in Cikawao village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, September 23, 2017. REUTERS/BeawihartaA young man and woman play with their smartphones in a corner where they are able to get signal in Cikawao village of Majalaya, West Java province, Indonesia, October 11, 2017. REUTERS/Beawiharta
“It used to be very simple, not like now when the dogs are trained,” said Nur Hadi, head of Hiparu, a group of hunting dog enthusiasts that takes part in the fights.
“From there it’s been handed down and has even become part of tradition and culture,” Hadi told Reuters.
He defends the practice against criticism from animal rights groups, who say it should be banned.
“It is a criminal act against animals,” said Indonesian animal rights activist Marison Guciano.
“The government and NGOs should go to the field to stop this event and educate the people that dog fighting is not right.”
The fights take place in a 15-by-30 metre (50 ft by 100 ft) arena surrounded by a bamboo fence to protect spectators, and only end when one of the animals is injured.
Participants say the contests test the agility and hunting abilities of the dogs. If a boar survives a fight, once healed it will be returned to the arena to fight another day. If not, it will be butchered and sold for meat.
Dog breeder Agus Badud says the tradition also gives people a source of income.
“I take part in this contest to increase the selling price and economic value of my dogs, and it would be useless for me as a breeder if I did not participate in a contest like this,” Badud said in his house where he keeps 40 dogs.
Dog owners pay anywhere from 200,000 rupiah to 2 million rupiah ($15 to $150) to enter the fights, depending on the size of their dog.
(Reporting by Tommy Ardiansyah and Johan Purnomo; Writing by Fergus Jensen; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
