Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) has called on Premier League club Crystal Palace to retire their live bald eagle mascot, Phoenix, immediately. Peta argues that the noisy, crowded stadium environment at Selhurst Park is unsuitable for live animals, which can become frightened and stressed, posing risks to both the birds and fans. The club has used live eagles in pre-match displays since 2010, with Phoenix replacing the previous eagle, Kayla, who died in 2020.
Peta highlighted incidents involving live mascots being injured or causing harm, and urged Crystal Palace to cease using live animals for entertainment, noting the club already has a human mascot, Pete the Eagle. The group emphasised that bald eagles, as symbols of freedom, deserve better treatment. BBC Sport has reached out to Crystal Palace for comment.
Read the full story: BBC UK News.
Source: BBC UK News. Aggregated summary, not independent reporting.