Man gored to death by raging heifer in Alicante bull run

The Valencia man died after being speared through the chest and stomach by a female cow, during an infamous bull run. The victim was rushed by ambulance to a hospital nearby where medical crews tried to save his life but were unsuccessful, according to the Red Cross. The 29-year-old was pronounced dead an hour later. The town of Alicante has suspended all of its bull-related festivities for the rest of Saturday, 9 July.

Last year a local festival in the small village of Pedreguera saw a fatality when a male was gored to death during the bull run. Officials in Alicante said the 44-year-old man was talking with friends when he was charged at by one of the bulls during the town's summer festival.

Seven people were gored in a chaotic running of the bulls at Pamplona's San Fermin festival and eight others were also taken to city hospitals for other injuries sustained in the run. A 58-year-old Spaniard, a 73-year-old South African man and a Canadian aged 48, were in serious condition after being gored, a government statement said.

Three Americans and an Indian were gored, but their injuries were said to be non-life threatening. In total, 15 have died from being gored since records began in 1924.

Around 75 topless animal rights activists poured fake blood over themselves in Pamplona, Spain on Tuesday 5 July to protest the treatment of bulls in the San Fermin festival. The protest was organised by AnimaNaturalis and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) which say that almost 50 animals will die over the course of the festival. The protesters wore bull horns and held signs in different languages reading "Pamplona: Bloodbath for Bulls".

"Each of the bulls terrorised in the streets of Pamplona will suffer an excruciating death in front of a screaming crowd in the bullring", says Peta UK Director Mimi Bekhechi. "We're calling for a permanent end to this widely condemned display of violence and suffering."