PETA Calls on Crystal Palace to Stop Using Live Eagle Mascot at Selhurst Park

Animal rights group PETA has called on Crystal Palace to stop using a live bald eagle as its mascot at Selhurst Park, saying the bird should be retired from matchday duties on welfare grounds.

The group sent a letter to club chief executive Sharon Lacey, asking the Eagles to retire Phoenix from pre-match shows. PETA also wants the club to promise it will "never use a live animal mascot again."

Phoenix came to the club in August 2024 from the Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation in Kent. He carries on a tradition that began under Malcolm Allison in 1973.

PETA says the club already has a costumed mascot, Pete the Eagle, who can keep fans entertained without putting a wild bird through the noise of a match day. 

The letter argued that "reclusive eagles deserve better than a stressful, booming stadium environment." It added that "bright lights, loud noises, and boisterous crowds can cause birds to become frightened, disoriented and panicked."

PETA's Dr Carys Bennett said: "Bald eagles are revered as symbols of freedom, yet Phoenix is being used as little more than a prop to entertain football fans."

She went on: "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."

To back up its case, the group listed a few cases where live birds got hurt or caused trouble at football grounds. 

The letter mentioned "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."

It also brought up a fan who lashed out at a visiting side's mascot. "In another case, a rowdy football supporter punched a rival team's eagle mascot," the letter said.

That appears to point to an incident involving Phoenix's predecessor, Kayla, during a heated League Cup game against local rivals Charlton in September 2015. 

Kayla, the club's first American bald eagle, began flying the length of the pitch in 2010. She died of a heart attack in June 2020 at the age of 28.

The call comes at a tough time for the club. Manager Pierre Sage is under pressure after his side picked up only seven points from its first seven league games. 

Things got worse on Sunday, when Palace lost 5-0 to rivals Brighton at the Amex Stadium, a game that included a goal from Diego Gomez scored from the halfway line. 

The team now has to bounce back on Thursday, when it travels to Turkey to face Besiktas in the Europa League