A fighting cock equipped with knives for an illegal battle in southern India killed its owner, prompting a manhunt by the authorities to find the organizers.
The man was severely injured when releasing the animal for combat, but the blades attached to the rooster’s legs hit him in the groin and the beast fled, police said.
Unable to make it to the hospital, the animal’s owner died of his injury after losing too much blood.
Authorities told AFP that the man was part of a group of 16 people who were involved in illegal fighting in the village of Lothunur, said B Jeevan of local police.
The rooster was briefly kept at the police station before being sent to a bird farm.
“We are looking for the other 15 individuals involved in organizing the illegal fighting,” Jeevan said.
These people could face charges of manslaughter, unlawful wagering and organizing cock fights.
Although such fighting is banned, it remains popular in rural areas of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Odisha states.
Thousands of roosters die each year in these events which continue to draw crowds despite everything.