Why Bulls Hate Red Color

Why Bulls Hate Red Color: Bullfighting is one of the most popular and controversial traditions in Spain that has it origins as early as 711 A.D. During every summer, thousands of people flock together to see a bullfighter (matador) wave his red cape (muleta) in front of a angry, snorting bull. The bull sees the flaming, arrogant red color and charges angrily towards it. Or so it seems from the stands.

From childhood, we have been told not to stand in front of a bull when wearing a red dress, because there are high chances that the bull might attack us. So what is it about the color red that makes bulls so angry? Or do they? Let’s find out.

What is it About Red That Makes Bulls So Angry?

Going by our ancestors, we all have been taught that red makes bulls angry, and it is dangerous to stand in front of a bull wearing a red attire. But is this fact really true? No, it isn’t! Bulls don’t actually hate the color red. In fact, they can’t even really see the color red. Bulls, like all other cattle, are colorblind to red. So why do they charge at a bullfighter’s red cape then?

Bullfighters use a small red cape, called a muleta, during a bullfight. The reality is that the bulls get irritated by the cape’s movement, and not its color. Bulls don’t get agitated by the color red. In fact, there is very little evidence for any color aggravating bulls into causing damage.

The bulls used in bullfights are from a very aggressive breed and they’re raised in a way that any sudden movements will make these bulls angry and make them attack. These breeds of fighting bulls are bred and raised to be aggressive, especially in enclosed areas from where they can’t escape. If the cape being used were of any other color, the bull will charge at it. Therefore, if a bullfighter is dressed in red and is standing still and another bullfighter dressed in any other color (even white) begins moving in front of the bull, the bull will attack the bullfighter in white – the one who is moving.

Why is Red used During Bullfighting?

A red-colored cape is used purely as a matter of tradition. In fact, there are three stages in bullfighting and the red cape is only used in the last stage. Also, the red color of the cape helps mask the blood of the bull as it is fended off by the matador. The ornate costumes and red capes are considered an important part of the culture and tradition of bullfighting. In the same way that sports teams always wear the same colors, the red capes are seen as part of the bullfighting uniform.

Why Do Bulls Tackle the Matador?

The bull is surrounded by thousands of people in the audience shouting and creating a lot of noise, causing the bull to become irritated and confused. As the bull scans its surroundings, its brain will register that it’s not in a calm and safe environment. Once the Matador aggressively whips the Muleta, the bull’s brain will associate that sudden movement with danger. This will trigger the Fight or Flight response and the release of adrenaline, causing the bull to charge at and attack the Matador in order to get rid of the threat and survive.

What Colors Can Animals See?

Color vision in mammals is accomplished by a collection of cone cells on the back of the eye (the retina). There are three kinds of cone cells: one kind that detects predominantly red colors, another kind that detects mainly green, and the last kind that detects mainly blue. Although cone cells respond most strongly to their main color, they can still respond to other close colors. This color overlap of the cones’ sensitivity is what allows us to see so many colors.

For instance, a pure yellow color stimulates both the red cone and the green cone, and we experience the combination as yellow. If instead of looking at a pure yellow dot of light, you looked instead at a red dot very close to a green dot with the right balance, you would still experience yellow because the red cones and green cones are being stimulated in the same way.

Most mammals, including bulls, are dichromats. This means that they only have two different kinds of cones, as opposed to the three in humans. Bulls lack the red cones, but still have the green and blue cones. A bull’s vision is very similar to the vision of a human with red-cone color blindness, known as protanopia. To them, a red cape looks yellowish-gray. It is perhaps the threatening, waving motion of the matador’s red cape that enrages a bull, and not the color.

We hope this article on Why Bulls Hate Red Color has provided with an idea of why the bulls attack the matador or the bullfighter holding a red colored cape. Stay tuned to emibe.com for more such informative and educational articles.