Bill Oddie Marches In London For Bears

Wearing bear masks, dressed in black and holding signs that read, “MoD: Go Fur-Free”, hundreds of compassionate members of the public marched through central London on Saturday to urge the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to replace The Queen’s Guards’ bearskin caps with cruelty-free faux fur.

The route began at Westminster Bridge and finished at Marble Arch, for a grand total of 5 kilometres, taking participants past iconic sights such as the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus. Beloved twitcher Bill Oddie and actor Peter Egan kicked off proceedings and took the lead at the front of the march.

It can take the entire hide of one Canadian black bear to make just one of The Queen’s Guards’ caps. Many bears are not killed instantly when they’re shot, and some escape the hunters only to die slowly from blood loss, gangrene, starvation or dehydration. When mother bears are killed, nursing cubs are often left behind to starve.

“For nearly two centuries, the MoD has purchased black bear pelts from Canada while doing little to further the research on synthetic materials”, says PETA Manager Mimi Bekhechi. “Instead of financially supporting the shameful slaughter of black bears, the United Kingdom should set a compassionate example by switching to a humane, synthetic alternative.”

For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk.