Caithness animal rights rep says Royal Guards should go 'bear free'

With a weekend of Coronation pomp and ceremony ahead, a Caithness animal rights activist calls for the Royal Guards to ditch their iconic bearskin hats in favour of cruelty free versions.

Highland PETA representative and Lyth-based model Natalie Oag says that the traditional headgear comes at a price since they are made from fur of black bears – hundreds of them being killed annually from a large population in Canada.

"Behind this glamorous red letterbox uniform is hiding another kind of sinister red – a red blood of a majestic bear that should be running free in the wilds of Canada," said Natalie.

She adds that Canadian bears are legally shot or trapped in foot snares across the provinces and a spring hunt of bears is permitted. She says that snares are a particular "slow and painful way to die by starvation, blood loss or infection" and some will even chew a limb off that is caught in the trap. "Mother bears seeking food for their cubs are often killed, leading to the demise of entire families."

Natalie added: "Hunters are allowed to kill the bears using a variety of weapons such as guns, traps, bows and arrows and even spears. If the fashion industry can open its eyes and see the suffering behind fur why can’t the Military of Defence?"

The animal lover says there is an alternative, however, with the world's first faux bear fur created by PETA called Ecopel.

"The high-performing faux bear fur would retain the aesthetic of the iconic cap, giving a nod to tradition while preventing sensitive bears from being viciously slaughtered for their fur. It’s is also more eco-friendly. Ecopel has been made readily available to the MoD for years and is virtually indistinguishable from the real thing."

Natalie asks the public to consider filling in an online petition calling on the MoD support humane, bear-free caps which can be found at: secure.peta.org.uk/page/93933/action/1

"The MoD’s tired excuses are unacceptable. Ecopel has offered to meet and work with its cap makers to allow any possible adjustments to the fabric, free of charge. Yet the ministry has refused the request, blocking any chance of progress while deceitfully telling the public it would be willing to change were a suitable alternative provided."

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