Outrage as matador wipes away 'tears' of bloodied bull with a handkerchief before killing it

WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT

A Spanish matador wiped away blood from a bull's face before he killed the badly injured animal in a gesture described as 'malicious and perverse' by an animal rights group - while others have called it 'respectful'.

Morante de la Puebla was taking part in a bullfighting festival at the Real Maestranza bullring in the city of Seville in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia when the incident took place.

The 39-year-old is seen pulling out a handkerchief with his blood-soaked hand to clean the dying bull.

The animal is seen with four spiked 'banderillas' sticking out of its back before the final death act takes place.

Footage of the moment has been shared on Twitter and viewed 2.3million times.

BASTARDO TORERO 🤬🤬!!

Matador wipes away 'tears' of bloodied bull with a handkerchief before killing it in a move slammed by animal rights group as 'perverse'!! pic.twitter.com/ReirpCYmW9

— PROTECT ALL WILDLIFE (@Protect_Wldlife) May 13, 2019

Bullfighting fans considered the gesture as a sign of respect for the animal - but commenters on social media and animal rights groups have slammed the incident.

Silvia Barquero Nogales, leader of Spain's Animalist Party Against Mistreatment of Animals (Pacma) political party, told the Daily Mail: 'Only a malicious and perverse mind could torture an animal until the blood pours down its legs and then wipe its face with a tissue.

On the image of the Spanish bullfighter wiping the tears of a dying bull: tmost infuriating, most upsetting image I have seen in quite awhile. The utter cruelty of humans ... bullfighting is horrific and those who participate in it are too! #Disgraceful #banbullfighting pic.twitter.com/a27XYAobPY

— Corinna Wagner (@CorinnaMWagner) May 13, 2019

'The matador is just disguising for his lack of empathy. Abolish bullfighting now!'

Meanwhile, others commented online calling the matador 'sadistic', 'psychopathic' and 'hypocritical' as he went on to kill the bull moments later.

However, bullfighting fans said that de la Puebla was showing respect to the animal as other famous matadors have done in the past, such as Jose Gomez Ortega.

Land-based animals have the ability to produce tears to lubricate their eyes, although it is widely believed that only humans produce emotional tears.