A Biologist Reveals 4 Animal ‘Blood Sports' You Probably Never Knew Existed. Hint: Cockfighting Isn't One Of Them

Forbes

03-05-2025

Cockfighting and dogfighting are two regrettable pastimes. But the story doesn't end there. Here are ... More four other instances of animal combat sports that make most naturalists cringe.
Animals serve many purposes to humans. They are a source of food. They offer companionship. They can help us travel and do hard chores. They can also entertain us–in both benign and aggressive ways.
Here are four instances of animal entertainment that appeal to our own aggressive instincts.
Cricket fighting is an animal combat sport that originated in China, with a history dating back over 2,000 years. The sport involves two male crickets, which are pitted against each other in a small arena to fight until one either flees or is injured/killed.
Cricket fights have been revered as a form of entertainment and are deeply embedded in Chinese culture. Spectators often wager on the outcome of the matches, with bettors looking to judge which cricket has superior fighting instincts. The crickets themselves are typically bred for combat, with careful attention paid to their size and fighting spirit. The fights often begin after the crickets are placed on a flat surface where they circle one another, making aggressive chirping sounds before clashing with their legs or jumping onto their opponent.
Spider fighting is another ancient and highly regarded sport, practiced in parts of Southeast Asia. The creatures most often used for these battles are female orb weavers, of the species' Neoscona punctigera and Neoscona vigilans.
Neoscona vigilans is an unassuming orb-weaver by day, a fierce contender in Filipino spider fighting ... More by night.
The spiders are matched based on their weight and size, and the fight itself consists of one spider attempting to overpower the other. These contests usually occur in a controlled environment, such as along the end of a stick, where each spider races from each side and tries to subdue or dismount the other.
While spider fighting has gained a certain level of popularity in countries like Thailand and the Philippines, it has also sparked controversy due to concerns about animal cruelty. Enthusiasts of the sport appreciate the display of natural instincts, but critics point out the risks to the spiders' well-being.
Duck fighting is a sport that dates back over 2,000 years in China. The game involved releasing two wild ducks onto a pond and observing their fight from the comfort of a pavilion. The pastime appears in numerous ancient Chinese texts. The Tang dynasty poet Li Yong (678–747 AD) composed a poem titled 'Dou ya fu' about duck fighting. Another medieval text retells the story of Huan Xuan (369–404 AD), who notoriously killed his cousin's entire stable of fighting ducks out of anger after repeatedly losing to him.
When ducks clash, even when it's for an organized event, it's a brutal battle for dominance.
It is known that a renowned duck-fighting pond was situated in Yangzhou (Jiangsu province), China, with origins dating back to the Han dynasty. It is also known that ducks weren't the only birds coerced into fighting in ancient China; there is also evidence that egrets, peacocks and geese were pitted against each other for the entertainment of their keepers.
Duck fighting is not practiced in present-day China.
Fish fighting is a sport in which two fish, often of aggressive species like bettas or cichlids, are placed in a small enclosure to engage in combat. The sport, popular in parts of Southeast Asia, especially Thailand and Malaysia, has been practiced for centuries. Bettas, also known as Siamese fighting fish, are often the main contenders in these battles, prized for their vibrant colors and fierce nature.
The fights typically begin when the fish are introduced into the arena, with each fish trying to outmaneuver the other through rapid movements and biting. These contests can be brief but intense, with one fish eventually retreating or being overwhelmed. Fish fighting has faced increasing criticism, particularly in light of animal rights concerns and regulations aimed at curbing animal cruelty. Despite this, the sport has a cultural history, especially among those who appreciate the aesthetic and combative qualities of the fish.
Are you an animal lover who loves your pet and would never dream of breeding them for battle? Take the science-backed Pet Personality Test to know how well you know your little friend.