Story By: Angjela Trajkovska, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT

Video Credit: CEN

This is the moment a group of carnival-goers in bizarre masks take turns swinging from a defenceless duck’s neck slowly killing as it is tied up upside down in a shocking tradition.

The ritual, known as ‘despescuezada’, is part of the celebrations of the Carnival of Paso Blanco in the city of Misantla in the Mexican state of Veracruz.

In the video, a white duck can be seen tied upside down and suspended in the air as masked people walk up to it and grab it by its neck. The duck is then lifted into the air as the participants continue grabbing its neck and they are lifted into the air with it.

The duck is clearly still alive as the participants keep on coming and grab its neck, and sometimes two people at the same time are lifted into the air whilst throttling it. By the end, the duck appears to be dead with red marks around its neck as revellers continue swinging from it.

The video was posted onto social media where netizens showed their outrage, especially at the fact that the Municipal President, Othon Hernandez, was present at the event.

Hernandez said that the tradition is over 100 years old but added that he understood the complaints. The Municipal President said awareness needed to be raised among the organisers of the carnival and that the practice should be discontinued.

The State Prosecutor’s Office for Environmental protection informed that they will act accordingly.

Netizen ‘gerard soga’ commented: “This is not a tradition, this is savagery.”

And ‘Irasema Panizzo’ added: “This animal cruelty should end.”

‘Hei’ simply wrote: “What horror!”

Picture Credit: CEN