Cockfighting

In the old, clandestine tradition of a cockfight, somewhere in a remote village of Antananarivo in Madagascar, lies the raw and thrilling spectacle.

Tension builds as clandestinely the villagers from the different villages come, ready with their money on their fighters. Bets fly in the air as it vibrates with both anticipation and fear.

Two proud and fierce fighting cocks face off for battle. The much-awaited moment comes now: the fight is on. Wings hurl through the air, claws strike with ferocity. The cocks face off with fierce determination to hold their honor and territory until the last breath. Each blow is followed by screams of excitement and anguish, as the onlookers crowd around the makeshift arena.

The fight may end in two ways: either with the victory of one of the cocks, there follows a wave of joy or despair, depending on the victor, or with the death of one of the contestants, which brings with it a sense of tragedy and remorse.

Getting into such places is hard, where the law is defied and the lives of cocks are offered on the altars of tradition and entertainment.

But for anyone who had the guts to see one of these fights, it would be an unforgettable experience, a mixture of opposed emotions that would leave a footprint in the soul.