Animal Equality, a leading international animal protection
organisation, today released footage of geese and ducks suffering
in barren, wire cages and terrified birds struggling while being
force-fed with metal tubes on a French foie gras farm. These
harrowing scenes were filmed openly during a public farm tour in
August. Animal Equality is calling on restaurants to take cruel
foie gras off their menus this Christmas, starting with a
protest at the Tate Modern in London today.
>> Video footage of the above scenes is
available here.
>> Photos from the foie gras farm are
available here.
>> Protest details: TODAY, 12noon, Tate Modern,
Bankside
Actor and animal advocate, Peter Egan, and TV veterinarian, Emma
Milne, joined Animal Equality on the visit to ‘La Ferme Turnac’
foie gras farm which offers daily public tours. They witnessed
terrified, panting ducks crammed into tiny, filthy cages and
geese struggling to escape as a vast amount of food was pumped
down their throats using a large metal tube.
Shocked that the farm was happy to put this horrific cruelty on
display for families to watch, Peter Egan spoke out strongly
against the practice: “It’s disgusting. It should be
banned.”
Speaking about the force-feeding process, veterinarian and animal
welfare campaigner Emma Milne said “The vocalisation was
absolutely clear that it was an extremely unpleasant experience.
If that’s what they’re happy to show you, I dread to think what
some of the worse farms are like.”
Dr Toni Shephard, Animal Equality’s UK Executive Director,
said “Ironically, many restaurants only offer foie gras
on their Christmas menu as it is seen as a luxury, yet there is
nothing festive about force-feeding birds to produce this
‘delicacy’ from their engorged, fatty livers. We are asking Tate
Modern to live up to their name and drop foie gras from their
festive menu.”
Media Contact
For more information or to arrange an interview, please
contact:
Dr Toni Shephard, UK Executive Director
07505 866548 or tonis@animalequality.org
Notes to editors
-
The process of ‘gavage’, or force-feeding, causes so much
suffering to ducks and geese that it is illegal to produce
foie gras here in the UK, yet we still import nearly 200
tonnes of it every year.
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Animal Equality is also campaigning for a UK foie gras import
ban post-Brexit. The online petition currently
has more than 115,000 signatures.
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Animal Equality is a voice for farmed animals all over the
world; inspiring individuals, companies and policymakers to
adopt compassionate changes for animals. The organisation has
offices in the UK, the United States, Germany, Italy, Spain,
Mexico, Brazil and India.
