Atoro embolado (in Spanish),bou embolat (inCatalan), roughly meaning 'bull with balls', is a festive activity, typical of many towns in Spain (mainly in theValencian community and SouthernCatalonia), in which abull that has burning balls of flammable material attached to its horns is set free in the streets at night, and participants dodge the bull when it comes close. It can be considered a variant of anencierro (correbous in Catalan). This activity is held in a number of Spanish towns during theirlocal festivals. In the 21st century animal welfare activists have attempted to stop this practice ascruel.[1]
The animal is usually tied to a post and then teams of people prevent it from moving while a wooden frame with two spikes with balls of flammable material is attached to its horns. These are then set alight and the rope is cut. Sometimesfireworks are attached too, which then go off shortly afterwards. There is usually a barricade separating the bull from the spectators.
A somewhat similar activity is thetoro de fuego, in which the live bull is replaced by a bull-shaped metal frame (held by a runner) which is set alight.[2]
Vejer de la Frontera has held the yearly El Toro Embolao onEaster Sunday since 1976, where two bulls are let loose in the city. In 2019 a 74-year-old man was gored to death.[3]
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