Peta Calls for Retirement of Crystal Palace's Bald Eagle Mascot
The animal rights organization Peta is requesting that Crystal Palace retire their live bald eagle mascot, Phoenix, immediately. The group argues that a stadium filled with enthusiastic fans is not a suitable environment for animals.
Peta addressed a letter to the club's CEO, Sharon Lacey, urging the Premier League team to cease using the eagle in pre-match events at Selhurst Park and to refrain from employing live animal mascots in the future. Crystal Palace, known as the Eagles since the 1970s, introduced a live eagle to their matchday experience in 2010, with Phoenix making her debut in August 2024.
The organization highlighted that birds can experience fear and panic in such settings, which poses risks to both the animals and spectators. Peta also noted that using animals for entertainment deprives them of their natural behaviors, leading to stress. They provided records of incidents involving live mascots, including injuries and fatalities. Peta's senior corporate projects manager emphasized that many sports teams utilize human mascots instead and that bald eagles, as symbols of freedom, deserve better treatment.
