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Cockfights In Indonesia

In the rural mountain area of Tana Toraja in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, cockfights appear to be a very popular diversion among locals. Apart from the savage spectacle itself, the main draw in these "gatherings" is that they involve some serious gambling. In a rather secluded spot in the outskirts of the town of Sadan, over 500 people gathered around the cockpit, which is surrounded by traditional "tongkoman" houses with boat-shaped roofs, typical of the Torajan culture. According to the rules, the minimum bet is 250,000 rupiahs for spectators and 2.5 million rupiahs for rooster owners. This sums up to a total amount that exceeds 300 million rupiahs (or over 25,000 euros) exchanging hands on that particular day only. Because of this uncontrolled gambling, cockfights are officialy illegal in Indonesia and police raids are not uncommon. However, they are frequently held and everyone in the area seems to know the "secret" place where the next cockfight is, which can be otherwise spotted if anyone follows all the men on motorbikes running frantically the uphill dirt tracks with a rooster in hand. Women do not attend cockfights, unless they are vending food and cigarettes. Until a minute before they are thrown into the cockpit, the cocks are petted with care by their owners. This affection is quite contradictory of what comes next. A sharp metal spur is attached to the left leg of each rooster, the cocks are placed facing each other in the middle of the cockpit and the fight begins. It usually lasts no more than a few minutes and it results in the death or serious injury of one of the roosters. In any case the looser has its leg chopped off immediately after the fight and a bit later it is properly slaughtered. In the meantime, bets are placed on the outcome of each match and millions of rupiahs exchange hands as spectators and animal owners wager large sums on their rooster of choice, Sadan, Indonesia, Aug 14, 2011 (Photo by Giorgos Georgiou/NurPhoto)

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