ABSTRACT
The topic of the previous chapter explored the various roles animals play as workers in the tourism industry. This chapter focuses not on animals as labourers in the working or toiling sense of the word but on the tremendous effort and stress animals endure as “players” in blood sports. There is historical precedence for using animals as such, most clearly emphasised in the Roman games and the continuity of this surfaces in several blood sports like baiting and fighting. Many of these practices are discussed here, with clear links to contemporary tourism. These sports continue to exist as cultural traditions and rituals. However, the commodification of these activities is another example of how tourism fills niches by providing economic benefits that help substantiate the value of these activities.
