Toro piscines: terrorising animals... to better entertain humans
One Voice condemns holding toro-piscines and is writing to town councils to ask that these ‘games’ stop.
‘Toro piscine’ is a practice that involves penning a young cow in an enclosure with no escape and harassing them to make them cross a swimming pool – all completely natural – and is very in fashion at certain festivals in the south of France.We have written to the mayors of different towns for them to share our indignation and to ask them to put an end to these ‘shows’ that have had their day.
Several whistle-blowers have shared their dismay following the organisation of these types of events in their town, as was the case last week in Vendres and in Monclar-de-Quercy. Although toro piscines can at first glance seem inoffensive, with the young cows having their lives saved on the contrary to the bulls tortured to death in bull-fighting, they nevertheless are still an ordeal for the animals.
In 2023, some still laugh at others’ distress
The principle is simple: humans in need of a ‘thrill’ throw themselves into the ‘arena’ (in reality, a small, meshed enclosure making it easy to escape – ‘keep going’, ‘let’s run away’!) to pursue and torment a young cow to make it cross a swimming pool.
Surrounded on all sides by several people, in an unknown environment, with no possibility of ending this ‘game’ that they have not chosen to play, the young, frightened cow has no other option than to pursue its assailants in order to protect itself. The music, laughter, and shrieks from the crowd add their dose of stress to this.
When the human festival ends, exhausted, she is taken back to the farm. Like the majority of cows in France, she will be exploited for the rest of her life.
Individual cases and formulae are just as significant as the rest to move societies forward
Although some deem these practices as ‘pointless’ or ‘insignificant’, this certainly is not the case for the animals forced to take part. We believe that they carry a heavy symbolic value in fact. Putting an end to it is the only way to raise awareness and stop animal mistreatment in all its forms.
This is why we are writing to the mayors concerned and are inviting you to do the same. While waiting for an end to toro piscines, do not hesitate to contact us to report such events to us.
Translated from the French by Joely Justice