Cockfighting draws huge crowds and attracts large sums of gambling cash in Madagascar.
The Ambohimangakely arena the capital Antananarivo, Madagascar with tiered seating for about 400 people is always filled to capacity on match days according to a report by AFP.
Cock breeders travel from around Madagascar to show off their finest fighters at the high-profile event. Spectators exchange bundles of notes in the stands as the action unfolds in the sandy, fenced-off pit.
Locals say more than 12 million ariary (3,870USD) change hands in a single contest. The money is a small fortune in a nation where the average monthly salary is just 47 USD.
Fights only end if two hours pass without a clear victor, if one of the cocks loses both eyes, if one refuses to fight, or one of them dies. Deaths are rare but not unheard of.
While good-natured chaos reigns in the stands, the fighting is strictly controlled by a referee armed with a whistle.
Cockfighting is rare in Africa but in Madagascar it is an ancestral tradition that dates back 700 years and was brought to the country by Asian migrants.
“Here it is a tradition before it is a competition. It’s even more popular than football,” said tournament organiser Setra Rabarinandrianina.
