LA PALMA, CUBA - Spectators aggressively yell during a cockfight. At the peak of a match, the volume of yelling becomes so intense it’s deafening.
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LA PALMA, CUBA - At a small cockfighting arena in a rural area 20 minutes outside of La Palma, roosters are weighed in before being handed through a barred window where the birds are held in individual lockers until they are pulled to fight.
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LA PALMA, CUBA - Cockfight owners check the scale as their birds are officially weighed in. Occasionally, arguments ensue between the rooster owners and the fight officials over the recorded weight of the bird. One-tenth of a kilogram can mean the difference of being assigned to a higher weight class and fighting a larger bird.
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LA PALMA, CUBA - A man waits for the cockfights to begin.
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LA PALMA, CUBA - An artificial spur is wrapped tightly to the rooster’s leg where the animal’s natural spur had been clipped. Although most roosters do not die during cockfights, this spur has the ability to deal a lethal blow when landed in the neck of its opponent.
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LA PALMA, CUBA - A cockfight owner and two handlers step into the ring in preparation for a fight.
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LA PALMA, CUBA - A man prepares to make a bet during a cockfight in a rural area outside of La Palma, Cuba.
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LA PALMA, CUBA - Two roosters attack each other in an arena in a rural area of Cuba. Although cockfights are a well-known Sunday activity, they do not attract the average Cuban. Cockfights are violent and tend to draw mainly hard core fan who enjoy the intensity of the sport and the gambling.
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LA PALMA, CUBA - Between cockfights, a bookie steps into the ring to collect bets. Gambling and cockfighting go hand in hand.
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LA PALMA, CUBA - A man celebrates after his rooster wins the fight.
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LA PALMA, CUBA - A rooster stands over his defeated opponent.
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