Animals rights campaigners have accused Manchester’s Danny Boyle of breaking a promise
Animals rights campaigners have accused Manchester’s Danny Boyle of breaking a promise that animals used in the Olympics opening ceremony would be spared future stress.
Campaingers at PETA – People of the Ethical Treatment of Animals – claim the creatures used in the opening will continue to work in the entertainment industry.
PETA claim that the revelations is at odds with Danny Boyle’s assurances that he would “vigorously” seek o retre the animal performers to sanctuaries.
The Slumdog Millionaire director, from Radcliffe, Bury, revealed last month that over 100 farmyard animals would be part of the scenes in the ceremony on Friday.
The cast will include 12 horses, three cows, two goats, 10 chickens, 10 ducks, nine geese, 70 sheep and three sheepdogs, all appearing at the Olympic Stadium.
In a letter to the Captive Animals Protection Society, the Olympics committee’s director of ceremonies Bill Morris said they will return to “future roles in movies and theatre”.
He said: “Because the animals come from a specialist supplier we understand that none of them are intended for the food chain.
“Indeed it is expected that they will return to natural surroundings and any future roles in movies and theatre.”
PETA has said it is “livid” that the animals will spend the rest of their lives being hired out for film and theatre productions, which is highly stressful for them.
A spokesman said: “PETA is livid at the London 2012 Organising Committee’s new revelation that the animals used as props in this Friday’s Olympics opening ceremony will continue to be used by the entertainment industry after the event and ultimately face an uncertain fate.
“This is contrary to a personal assurance from Danny Boyle that he would ‘vigorously’ look into sanctuaries to retire them to.
“Far from the fictional scene of free-living animals on lush green pastures that these animals will be involuntarily portraying in the opening ceremony, they are, in reality, to spend the rest of their lives being hired out for film and theatre productions for humans’ financial gain.
“This is highly stressful to prey animal species like geese, chickens, cows, and sheep.
“It is rare indeed that any farmed animals exploited for entertainment enjoy a happy ending once their performing days are over, with most ending up on the chopping block.”
After the release of the award-winning Slumdog Millionaire, Boyle was called upon to provide welfare to the child actors, and PETA are asking him to do the same with the animals.
The spokesman added: “After Slumdog Millionaire, Boyle was compelled to provide for the welfare of the child actors.
“PETA is calling on him to be responsible now for the fate of the dozens of animals he intends to subject to the noise and stress of a 80,000-seat arena this Friday.”
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