Knife-Wielding Rooster Kills Owner in Cockfight

While banned for being inhumane to animals, an event in India recently wound up costing the life of a human being. BBC reports that a man in the village of Lothunur in Telangana state had outfitted his rooster with a knife to ready it for an illegal cockfight last week when the bird attempted to escape. As the owner tried to grab it, the animal wound up stabbing him with the 3-inch knife strapped to its leg. The owner reportedly died from loss of blood while en route to a hospital. Now, in addition to charges related to holding the illegal fight, some 15 organizers could face manslaughter charges, per Al Jazeera.

The bird was taken to an area police station and was expected to be transferred to a farm after serving as evidence in court. While certainly a bizarre turn, such mishaps are not unheard of. Last October, a police lieutenant in the Philippines was breaking up an illegal cockfight in San Jose when he picked up a rooster and was struck in his femoral artery and later died due to heavy blood loss. Also last year, another Indian man was sliced in the neck by a blade-wielding rooster and later suffered a fatal stroke, per CNN. (More cockfighting stories.)