PETA is pushing for talk shows to end animal segments in the aftermath of the pandemic

Variety

While PETA has seen "positive change" in the use of animals in TV and movies, talk shows have been "a perplexing holdout." That's according to Lewis Crary, the assistant manager of PETA’s animals in film and television department. “Whereas people are recognizing increasingly that wild animals shouldn’t be used for entertainment at marine parks or in scripted films, or at the circus, they’re still being dragged on to these talk shows,” he said. “Now, we’re using this kind of break in COVID when we haven’t had live audiences to really try and communicate to these talk show hosts, that when they come back they really got to leave these animals segments behind.” Crary called the use of wild animals on talk shows a “gimmick,” and claims that it “promotes exotic pet ownership, fuels the wildlife trade and perpetuates this dangerous idea that wild animals are ours to control.” Meanwhile, talk show insiders tell Variety that animal segments are "done ethically with carefully selected animals, and are meant to ignite awareness in the plight of such animals in a world drastically collapsing due to climate change."