An investigation by PETA Asia, shared exclusively with the Daily Mail, has documented organized cockfighting events in Bali in which roosters were fitted with sharp implements and forced to fight to the death before crowds that included uninformed tourists.
Video footage and eyewitness accounts included in the investigation showed animals bearing metal attachments on their feet and being confined together under a small basket when fights did not end quickly. Blood was visible on the arena floor, and spectators clustered around as handlers stepped into the ring to retrieve losing birds. Investigators said local taxi drivers were among those promoting these spectacles to holidaymakers who often did not know the full extent of what they were being encouraged to witness or participate in.
The footage, described by PETA Asia as the group's first investigation into cockfighting in Bali, shows multiple stages of the events: birds prepared for combat, crowds gathering in open-air arenas, and handlers intervening when fights stalled. According to the investigation, when roosters did not kill each other quickly enough they were held together in a basket until one bird inflicted a fatal wound. The scenes captured by investigators included close-ups of blood on the ground and handlers removing carriers containing defeated birds.
Organizers of such events use a range of methods to attract spectators, investigators said, including local drivers and guides who direct visitors to markets and performance sites. The investigation framed cockfighting as part of a larger set of animal-based tourist attractions that have multiplied as travelers seek increasingly novel experiences, citing examples from other regions such as donkey rides and staged photo opportunities with captive animals.
Tourists who attend these events are often presented with a cultural or historic framing, according to the reporting, which can obscure the organized and commercial nature of the spectacles. PETA Asia said its footage was intended to document how animals are harmed and to alert potential visitors to the risks of inadvertently supporting cruelty when booking excursions.
The revelations come amid broader scrutiny of wildlife and animal-based attractions in tourist destinations worldwide. Animal welfare organizations have in recent years stepped up investigations and public campaigns targeting activities they consider exploitative, arguing that commercialization of animal encounters can mask suffering and poor handling practices.
The Daily Mail report said the material was gathered during undercover visits and interviews in Bali; PETA Asia described the footage as evidence of cruel practices designed to generate revenue from spectators. Local officials or tourism authorities were not quoted in the reporting published with the investigation.
Travel experts and animal welfare advocates have increasingly urged visitors to vet excursion operators carefully, to seek out accredited sanctuaries rather than performance-oriented encounters, and to avoid activities that appear to rely on stressful or harmful treatment of animals. The investigation's findings add to calls for clearer information for tourists about the nature of animal attractions and for stronger oversight where events verge on abuse.
PETA Asia said it would continue to document and publicize the cases it identifies. The Daily Mail published the investigation alongside the footage and said it had corroborated elements of the reporting through on-the-ground reporting in Bali. Further reporting and responses from local authorities, tourism operators and event organizers were not included in the initial release of the investigation.