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Bulls Don't Hate the Color Red

Suzy Woltmann Suzy Woltmann
Science
30th August 2021
Bulls Don't Hate the Color Red
Movement, not color, attracts the bull (Getty Images).

The Claim

Bulls hate the color red.

Emerging story

Spanish-style bullfighting, a highly ritualized form of the sport, has been around for years. One of its components, the tercio de muerte, has the matador come into the ring alone waving a muleta, or red cape, to attract the bull. Many believe that the cape is red because the color angers bulls. 

A supporting image within the article body
A supporting image within the article body

Misbar’s Analysis

We discovered that like all other cattle, bulls are actually red/green colorblind – meaning that the color of the muleta cannot be what angers them. Rather, it seems to be the movement of the cape that angers them. 

The muleta is believed to be traditionally red because the red color helps conceal the bull’s blood. 

An excerpt from Mythbusters testing the movement v. red hypothesis is below. 

Misbar’s Classification

Fake

Misbar’s Sources

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