Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce: Strong PETA criticism after zoo visit

After the huge Super Bowl hype, the American dream couple Taylor Swift (34) and Travis Kelce (34) treated themselves to a little break Down Under and, among other things, visited the zoo in Sydney, Australia, far away from the flashbulbs. On Thursday, February 22, the singer and the NFL star were spotted there on a romantic outing, according to the site. According to Australian media reports, the two, among other things, fed kangaroos, took numerous selfies and walked hand in hand through the zoo.

Now, however, the animal rights organization PETA has spoken out and criticized the behavior of the superstars in very clear terms. In one, Debbie Metzler, director of PETA’s Foundation for the Protection of Animals in Captivity, says: “We fully understand the appeal of seeing Australia’s wildlife, but PETA hopes that the next time Taylor and Travis want to see wild animals , invest their time and money in a real protected area.”

PETA: Zoos are like prisons for animals

In the eyes of the PETA spokeswoman, an animal shelter would also have been a better choice because, for example, visitors there are not allowed to feed or touch the animals. There is a “respectful distance” on site. However, in Sydney Zoo you can get up close and personal with the animals. PETA has been considered a strict opponent of animal parks, zoos and wildlife parks for many years. On the organization’s German website, PETA also speaks of “prisons for animals.” Zoos do not meet the animals’ needs for a species-appropriate life. Many animals would become ill there, develop mental illnesses due to their species-unfriendly husbandry and die prematurely.

Zoos, on the other hand, often argue that they are necessary for species protection and the transfer of knowledge about the animals and that they do everything in their power to enable the animals to live as species-appropriate a life as possible.