A video from Tanzania has captured a global spotlight - from a young woman said that she’s doing a traditional ceremony on death horse that’s believed to revive what is said by some to be a dying animal. The woman appeared to jump for three times over the weak horse (appearing as a virgin according to local custom) and suddenly he starts to stand up, which is a bit of a surprise to watch and to the viewers.
The incident has opened up a flood of thoughts in many other areas about customs and healing practices that hold place in a whole world and culture. A critically ill animal that is jumped by a virgin girl, as in some Tanzanian cultures, will recover from injury and will be cured. The ritual is in line with inherited spiritual and cultural values.
Such practices are promoted on the basis of cultural heritage and ought to be regarded as an expression of indigenous knowledge systems. In rural areas, there may be limited access to veterinary care, and in practice, such rituals may be performed along with or in addition to modern medical facilities.
A video from Tanzania shows a virgin woman jumping over a dying horse three times, and the animal revived. Local belief holds that if a very sick animal is jumped over by a virgin girl, it can recover. pic.twitter.com/tlRhHTjoXy
— Global Folder (@Global_Folder) March 26, 2026
But experts and skeptics expressed doubts about the scientific evidence behind such claims. Veterinarians say the idea that these rituals can heal sick animals has been scientifically unsupported to some extent but has shown no practical application. It is dangerous to rely on anything unproven for what they say, they warn, to them and to the animal in the animal, and worse will the animal’s health.
Animal welfare activists too, that timely medical support and humane treatment to be taken into account are very much needed in order for animals to achieve health-related improvement on a long-term basis. While cultural issues are worth considering, they shouldn’t go at the expense of an animal’s welfare, they argue.
One video posted in the video has gained viral status on social media as the average user is both fascinated and perplexed but also angry and perplexed. Some viewers say they believe the horse’s recovery could very well be coincidence; other think it will happen because the ritual works only until we think back on our time: the horse is ready and recovers naturally later on.
The outcome of that debate will make the clash between traditional perspectives and world science all the more explicit and the situation comes to mind at this point at large. This, however, also tells me we need to care about animal health and access to veterinary services, in places they may not exist so they do, for example, to the veterinary field in areas that are mostly remote from any major city or town on Earth.
