Peta urges Crystal Palace to retire live eagle mascot Phoenix
Peta has asked Crystal Palace to stop using its live bald eagle Phoenix in pre-match displays at Selhurst Park and to abandon live animal mascots entirely, citing stress and safety risks.
Peta has written to Crystal Palace chief executive Sharon Lacey asking the Premier League club to retire its live bald eagle mascot, Phoenix, with immediate effect and to stop using live animals in matchday displays at Selhurst Park. The animal rights group argued that a bright stadium full of boisterous fans is unsuitable for animals.
The club, known as the Eagles since 1973, began using a live eagle on matchdays in 2010. Kayla filled the role for a decade before her death in 2020, and Phoenix debuted against West Ham in August 2024. Peta said birds in stadium settings can become frightened, disoriented and panicked, potentially endangering themselves and supporters, and that using them for entertainment denies animals that would naturally avoid humans the chance to follow their instincts, causing frustration and stress.
The organisation said it holds detailed records of incidents in which live mascots, including birds, were injured or killed in collisions with walls, windows and match balls, and of a falcon embedding its talons in a spectator's scalp after landing on his head. It also referenced a 2017 case in which a Charlton Athletic fan was found guilty of attempting to punch Kayla at a League Cup fixture two years earlier.
Peta's Dr Carys Bennett said many professional teams rely only on willing human mascots and noted that Palace already has Pete the Eagle to excite the crowd. She argued that bald eagles, widely seen as symbols of freedom, deserve better than being used as entertainment props for supporters. The article did not include a response from Crystal Palace.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
