Posts tagged "peta"

If it were up to animal rights group, PETA, the world's most famous and beloved polar bear, Knut at the Berlin Zoo, would be castrated.

"Knut is sharing his quarters with another polar bear named Giovanna, who is his cousin," states PETA on its Web site, adding that Knut and Giovanna (whose nickname is Gianna) share the same grandfather. To avoid any possibility that the pair will mate and produce inbred offspring, PETA's Germany chapter is demanding that Knut be castrated.

"If Knut and Giovanna were to have any offspring, it could threaten the genetic diversity of Germany's polar bear population, and the new bears could be susceptible to a condition known as 'incest depression,'" says PETA, citing expert Frank Albrecht.

For all his celebrity -- he was photographed for Vanity Fair by Annie Leibovitz, for example -- Knut has had a tough life. First, his mother -- a retired circus animal, according to People -- rejected Knut and his twin brother after giving birth in December 2006. Then Knut's twin brother died of a fungal infection. Knut was left alone to be hand-raised by humans. He managed to form an attachment to his devoted trainer, Thomas Dörflein, only to have Dörflein suddenly die in 2008.

We love robots as much as the next cyborg, er, human, but not nearly as much as the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The controversial animal-rights group has demanded that the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club replace their famous weather-predicting groundhog with a robot, reports the Los Angeles Times.

With Groundhog Day almost upon us, PETA's Animals in Entertainment specialist, Gemma Vaughan, wrote to Groundhog Club president William Deeley last week, asking him to release the most famous of the regional Groundhog Day groundhogs, Pennsylvania's Punxsutawney Phil (Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators and Weather Prophet Extraordinary), from his life of servitude at Gobbler's Knob.

Suggesting that Phil be replaced with an animatronic substitute, Vaughan wrote that the rodent is "forced to be on display year round at the local library and is denied the ability to prepare for and enter yearly hibernation," and that the hubbub probably distresses the humble 'hog, as they are typically shy creatures. Vaughan may be on to something; Phil has actually made several attempts to escape his Punxsutawney home in the last year. Although, to be fair, that may have been related to marital discord between Phil and his wife, Phyllis.

Unsurprisingly, Deeley says no deal. He told the Associated Press that the famous groundhog is "being treated better than the average child in Pennsylvania" (which, to be honest, makes us worry about the Keystone State's kids). PETA insists they're not trying to be total buzzkills, though. According to executive vice president Tracy Reiman, an animatronic Phil "would attract new and curious tourists" to Punxsutawney's annual event.

The weird thing is, they also want the movie "Groundhog Day" remade, with a robot replacing Bill Murray. That seems like a bit much, don't you think?

The deaths of two of Michael Jackson's pet giraffes are creating a media circus of their own. PETA is accusing the creatures' caretakers of neglect and asking Arizona police to confiscate two remaining living giraffes that belonged to the late King of Pop, E! Online reports.

Jabbar and Rambo died on Nov. 20 and Jan. 2, respectively, while under the custody of Tom and Freddie Hancock, owners of the Banjoko Wildlife Preserve in Page, Ariz. where all four of Jackson's giraffes had been living since 2006.

PETA claimed on its Web site that Jabbar and Rambo "may have died as a result of improper feeding and/or exposure to cold temperatures." PETA is now asking the Page, Ariz. Chief of Police Charlie Dennis to remove the remaining animals from the Hancocks' care, citing a possible violation of the state's animal cruelty law.

PETA is also offering their services to help find permanent homes for the remaining two giraffes, Princess and Annie Sue, and to arrange wildlife professionals to transport them.

But Freddie Hancock, whose wildlife preserve also acquired Jackson's exotic birds, snakes and crocodile, insists that PETA's accusations of neglect aren't true.

"We've had them for three and a half years, and they are like our children," Freddie Hancock told Salt Lake City's KSL-TV. "We're just absolutely devastated by the death of these giraffes."

As of now, Police Chief Dennis told the Associated Press that there's no reason to remove the other giraffes until police receive conclusive necropsy (animal autopsy) results.

After the recent death of the University of Georgia's mascot, Uga VII, PETA thinks it's time to do away with real bulldog mascots. Their suggestion? A robotic or costumed mascot.

In an e-mail to the school's Athletic Director, Damon M. Evans, PETA asked the school to stop breeding animals to avoid deadly genetic issues.

"Purebred dogs are prone to countless congenital ailments from years of inbreeding -- every breeder perpetuates these genetic problems for future generations with each litter," PETA said in their e-mail to Evans. "Bulldogs are especially predisposed to breathing difficulties, hip dysplasia, and, as shown in the Uga lineage, heart disorders."

PETA also explains that Uga VII's heart illness was worsened by the pooch's exposure to hot weather and poor ventilation. The dog was four years old when he died.

Uga the Bulldog as been the University of Georgia's beloved mascot since 1956, according to the University's Web site. The school has not yet announced Uga VII's successor.

Who are you rooting for?

PETA has announced that Christian Serratos, one of the stars of "Twilight," is the latest celebrity to state that she'd "rather go naked than wear fur" -- and pose for a risqué photograph to drive the point home. According to PETA's Web site, although Serratos is accustomed to working with the non-living for the vampire saga, "she would never wear anything dead."

The nude shot is a major departure from Serratos' past, when she starred in family-friendly shows like "Zoey 101," "Hannah Montana" and "7th Heaven," but it's not the first time the 19-year-old has teamed up with PETA. She previously posed for the organization's Save the Seals celebrity ad campaign (but, you know, with more clothes on).

In the accompanying video (which, we'll warn you, shows some graphic footage of the cruelty that goes on in the fur industry), Serratos explains that she's always been against "wearing a carcass," and that she finds the entire concept totally disgusting. While the controversial picture might shock a few Twihards (and, more likely, their parents), we applaud the fact that Serratos is standing up for something she's passionate about.

Bob Barker may no longer have his day job on "The Price is Right," but the former game show host is still working hard -- for animal rights.

Last week the 85-year-old animal rights activist visited the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina to encourage the tribe to close the bear pits they use as tourist attractions. Barker, who is one-eighth American Indian, was accompanied by PETA's Debbie Leahy as he met with Chief Michell Hicks and five other members of the tribal council.

According to the Washington Post, Hicks insists that the three separate zoo-like attractions adhere to all federal regulations. An owner of one of these attractions, Collette Coggins, told the paper, "We love our animals. They are like our pets," and claims the bears do not stay in the pits all day, every day.

Barker insists that the conditions are inhumane and encourages the tribe to turn the bears over to a California sanctuary. "To think that with as advanced as our civilization is now that there is any place in the United States where bears are kept in pits is just unbelievable. Just picture yourself, if your life, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, month after month, was in a pit."

Barker will be speaking about the issue at a news conference in Asheville, N.C. this Wednesday.

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