Crystal Palace FC Urged to Retire Live Eagle Mascot ‘Phoenix’
Crystal Palace FC Urged to Retire Live Eagle Mascot ‘Phoenix’
London – Because reclusive eagles deserve better than a stressful, booming stadium environment, PETA has sent a letter to Crystal Palace FC CEO Sharon Lacey, urging the club to retire its bald eagle mascot, Phoenix, immediately and commit never to using a live animal mascot again.
In the letter (available here), PETA points out that bright lights, loud noises, and boisterous crowds can cause birds to become frightened, disoriented, and panicked. It highlights numerous incidents involving birds used as mascots, including an owl who died after being hit by a ball, eagles who crashed into walls or glass windows, and a falcon who landed on a fan’s head, sinking his talons into the man’s scalp. In another case, a rowdy football supporter punched a rival team’s eagle mascot.
“Bald eagles are revered as symbols of freedom, yet Phoenix is being used as little more than a prop to entertain football fans,” says PETA Senior Corporate Projects Manager Dr Carys Bennett. “Crystal Palace already has a human mascot to energise supporters, so there’s no reason to drag a wild animal into a noisy, crowded stadium. PETA is urging the club to let Phoenix spread his wings and retire him from matchday duties for good.”
In nature, eagles fly across vast territories, spend much of their time high in the tree line, and generally avoid contact with humans. Even birds raised in captivity retain their natural instincts and can experience frustration and stress when denied the opportunity to engage in normal behaviours.
PETA notes that many professional sports teams rely exclusively on willing humans as mascots. Tottenham Hotspur retired its live cockerel years ago, while Barnsley FC ended its use of a live donkey mascot.
PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment” – points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and thirst, an eagle is a dog is a boy. For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk or follow PETA on Facebook, X, TikTok, or Instagram.
Contact:
Jennifer White +44 (0) 20 7837 6327; [email protected]
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