PETA’s Kate Werner shows off the faux fur beanie made by French company Ecopel.
Ben Stansall/AFP
PETA has long advocated that they should no longer be adorned with real Canadian black bear hair and has designed an acrylic alternative, made by the French company Ecopel. The Ministry of Defense “refuses to experiment with it, which it had undertaken to do on several occasions in recent years”, explains Kate Werner, a member of this association.
PETA claims that the government did not follow proper procedures in this case, and it is on this element that justice is seized. “We have been informed that PETA is initiating legal action regarding this matter. We cannot comment specifically on an ongoing case,” said a Department of Defense spokesperson.
Petition
A few months ago, the government said there were “no plans” to replace bear hair hats, adding that an analysis of faux fur testing by PETA found that “it does not meet the necessary criteria” to replace the current hats. A conclusion that PETA rejects. “It’s a symbol of Britain, but we want it to reflect the values and ethics of our society,” explains Kate Werner.
However, a petition to replace them with fake fur signed by more than 100,000 people had led to a debate in Parliament on the subject. According to PETA, the use of bear hair creates a market that sustains black bear hunting.
“The bears are not hunted by order of the Ministry of Defence. The bear skins used are the product of legal and authorized hunts that come exclusively from the regulated Canadian market,” said a ministry spokesperson.