‘Chained’ PETA Activists Drop Wreath at Rizal Monument to Honor Animals Imprisoned in Zoos

‘Chained’ PETA Activists Drop Wreath at Rizal Monument to Honor Animals Imprisoned in Zoos

What:            In anticipation of the country’s Independence Day, a group of “chained” PETA supporters clad in Philippine national outfits and tiger, monkey, and eagle masks will congregate at the monument of Jose Rizal, where they will deliver a wreath in honor of the national hero and urge passersby to spare a thought for the animal prisoners trapped inside Manila Zoo and other exploitative operations.

Where:          Centennial Clock Monument, Across the Jose Rizal Monument, Rizal Park, Roxas Boulevard, Manila.

When:            Thursday, 5 June, 1 p.m. sharp.

“Just as Filipinos once fought for their freedom, captive animals who are caged, gawked at, and denied everything natural and important to them need us to fight for their liberation today,” says PETA Senior Vice President Jason Baker. “PETA urges everyone to consider that true independence must include all beings and to please avoid cruel zoos at all costs.”

In nature, female elephants spend their lives among their mothers and sisters, protecting one another and helping to raise each other’s calves. But the Manila Zoo sentenced an elephant named Mali to decades of solitary confinement in a concrete pen after she was taken from her home in Sri Lanka. She suffered painful foot problems, was denied veterinary care, and died in 2023. Other animals are still suffering at the Manila Zoo.

PETA —whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal is Someone. For more information about PETA’s investigative newsgathering and reporting, please visit PETAAsia.com or follow PETA Asia on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

#