Spectators screamed as an enraged half-tonne bull leapt towards the crowd at a Spanish arena.
The six-year-old beast, named Malacara, was being goaded by matadors when it suddenly charged at one of the performers.
But as the matador cowered against the wooden fence, the bull veered sharply to the left and cleared the safety barrier.
Footage shows the 508kg animal flying towards terrified spectators in the front row, including one who was filming the drama.
They were saved only by the concrete wall in front of them at the Plaza de Toros de Murcia in Murcia, Spain, on September 20.
Shocked visitor Juan Perez, who was seated a few rows back, said: ‘I saw it with my own eyes, the bull jumping over the fence into the crowd.
‘The animal was out-of-control. It was extremely lucky that nobody was injured. There were women in those seats and they were close to being gored by the bull’s horns.’
The bull is seen in the video scampering away along the ringside.
He was then ushered back onto the sand to continue the bout before being killed, as is the local tradition.
An official said: ‘The bullfighter, Duarte Fernandes, used a killing lance, the rejon de muerte, before a verduguillo, a short sword, was used to deliver the final blow. This was needed to finish the bull.
Spectators screamed as an enraged half-tonne bull leapt towards the crowd at a Spanish arena
The six-year-old beast, named Malacara, was being goaded by matadors when it suddenly charged at one of the performers
But as the matador cowered against the wooden fence, the bull veered sharply to the left and cleared the safety barrier
Footage shows the 508kg animal flying towards terrified spectators in the front row, including one who was filming the drama
‘The crowd cheered for the bullfighter to be awarded an ear, which the presiding judge refused, so Fernandes received an ovation instead.’
The plaza’s official report said that Malacara was the sixth and last of the afternoon at a mounted bullfight that closed the Murcia Bullfighting Fair.
However, they said Malacara had jumped twice into the exit alley at the same event.
Officials said that Malacara had originated from the Los Espartales ranch. He was assigned to a Portuguese mounted bullfighter, or rejoneador, named Duarte Fernandes.
This is not the only time a bull has jumped into a crowd of spectators in recent months.
In July, a raging bull seriously injured four spectators after it leapt into a crowd during a bullfight at a Colombian festival.
The rampage took place at a ‘Corraleja’ event, a traditional bull festival where the animal is released into the ring and members of the public can dangerously tease it.
Video footage showed the bull seconds after it was released chasing people in the ring before it jumped over a tall red fence and into a large crowd.
Cheers of excitement quickly turned into screams of panic as people fled the stands, with some even jumping into the ring to escape.
One woman was hit and trampled by the bull as she tried to run away around the stand.
A fearless man then grabbed the bull by the tail, allowing others to quickly escape.
Bizarrely, as the carnage unfolds, a matador calmly walks across the bullring brandishing his red cape in an apparent attempt to get the bull’s attention.
