PETA Calls on KSU to Free Owl Mascot
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is calling for Kennesaw State University to free its live mascot.
Sturgis, the great horned owl, is named in honor of the institute’s first president Horace Sturgis.
But PETA says KSU, and all schools, should refrain from using real animals as mascots.
“Birds, like Sturgis, can easily be disorientated in hectic environments and can be seriously injured or even killed. Sports arenas are no place for a nocturnal, solitary bird, or any animal,” says Stephanie Shaw, with PETA.An audio version of this story.
This battle between KSU and PETA has been going on for months.
In a written statement to PETA, KSU’s athletic director, Vaughn Williams, said Sturgis is taken care of by a professional bird handler with decades’ worth of experience.
Williams also says Sturgis flies daily to maintain his strength and health.
However, PETA says good intentions can not guarantee an animal’s safety.
“Last year a bald eagle at an Oral Roberts University rally slammed into a window and fell to the floor. A condor broke loose from her handler at a professional hockey game and slipped and struggled on the ice before crashing into a plexiglass barrier,” says Shaw.
Williams, in his written statement, says Sturgis is more than just a mascot.
He’ll also help increase the public’s perception of owls and to raise money to replace and protect habitats.
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