Alexander Fiske-Harrison, 48, an amateur bullfighter, said that he had recognised the breed on the news: “I look at the high hips, the strong shoulder. That is a fighting animal.”

 

(Ambos artículos están disponibles en español aquí)

THE TIMES

Saturday June 7 2025

… and now there’s a bull on the run

Birmingham, a city famous for its golden statue of a charging bull, has had a real-life version roaming its streets (Charlie Moloney writes).

The animal, thought to be a Spanish fighting bull, was spotted about 9.30am yesterday in Digbeth, about a mile southeast of the centre. It was filmed trotting through Small Heath then charging into traffic. Later in the afternoon street cleaners helped to guide it into an old building.

Alexander Fiske-Harrison, 48, an amateur bullfighter, said that he had recognised the breed on the news: “I look at the high hips, the strong shoulder. That is a fighting animal.”

If anyone encounters a bull, it is best to “just stay away from it”, he said. “If a bull is fresh, it could see you at 50 yards and charge. Just get out of sight.”

Fiske-Harrison, who has written books on bullfighting (Into The Arena & The Bulls Of Pamplona) said he had spoken to several contacts, including matadors and bull-breeders from Seville, Spain and bull-runners he knew from Pamplona, Spain, none of whom could believe that the unbranded animal was in the city.

He feared that getting the bull into captivity could prove dangerous and suggested destroying the animal might be the most humane option. “I would literally take a large piece of cloth on a long tick and I would lure it into the back of a truck and then just lock the door, but good luck doing that if you do not have 15 years of training,” he said.

Birmingham city council said: “Council staff weren’t fazed when they came across a stray bull roaming the streets. When asked to help, our street cleansing crew was on the case, helping to remove this beautiful, albeit misplaced, animal to safety. They helped corral it into the old Dunelm site where colleagues in animal welfare and park rangers kept it and the public safe. We are trying to identify an owner.”

West Midlands police were liaising with the council to ensure the bull was taken to safety.

Spanish national newspaper ABC‘s article on the subject is translated beneath the screenshot below. 

Alexander Fiske-Harrison, author, philosopher, and expert aficionado of the world of the Spanish bullfight, stated that the animal was no ordinary bovine, but a toro de lidia, a fighting bull.

ABC
International

A Fighting Bull Causes a Stir in the Streets of Birmingham and Astonishes Locals
The animal, identified as a fighting bull, was spotted trotting through the English city on Friday morning. Authorities managed to capture it without incident.

An unusual and startling episode disrupted the routine of Birmingham’s residents on Friday morning: a large bull was seen trotting freely through the streets of the Digbeth area, near New Bond Street, around 9:30 a.m. (local time). The scene, captured in several videos shared by locals and now circulating on social media, shows the animal moving among cars and pedestrians with disconcerting calm—though naturally causing alarm among those seeing such a sight for the first time.

West Midlands Police confirmed the sighting and reported that they intervened immediately in coordination with Birmingham City Council to ensure the safety of both the animal and the public. According to local authorities, the bull was guided to the former Dunelm site, where an animal welfare team examined and took custody of it. No injuries or material damage were reported.

Though the owner of the animal has not yet been definitively identified, nor is it known how it managed to escape, a statement gathered by ABC provides a key detail that may shift the understanding of the event: Alexander Fiske-Harrison, writer, philosopher, and expert aficionado of the world of the Spanish bullfight, stated that the animal was no ordinary bovine, but a toro de lidia, a fighting bull.

The story has sparked all manner of reactions among Birmingham residents, who shared videos online of the bull crossing roads and walking along pavements, while some people retreated in evident fear, despite the animal showing no signs of aggression.