Innovative ‘I, Chicken’ Virtual Reality Experience to Cause a Flap in Richmond

PETA’s High-Tech Project Will Let Lunchtime Crowd See, Hear, and Feel What It’s Like to Be a Bird Facing Trouble

For Immediate Release:
July 29, 2015

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Virginia is one of the top chicken-producing states in the U.S.—but have residents ever considered what it feels like to be a chicken? Well, they’ll have the opportunity to find out firsthand on Thursday, when PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—will set up its innovative “I, Chicken” wireless Google virtual reality (VR) experience in Richmond.

Where:           Shafer Court Dining Center, S. Cathedral and N. Cathedral places, Richmond

When:             Thursday, July 30, 12 p.m.

“I, Chicken” uses the most cutting-edge VR hardware available to immerse participants in a world where they can flap their wings, communicate with other chickens, and engage in other natural chicken behavior. But as participants soon learn, life for the 26 million chickens slaughtered every day isn’t a walk in the park.

“PETA’s ‘I, Chicken’ shows people firsthand that each chicken is an individual who feels pain and fear and doesn’t want to die,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “Once people really understand who chickens are, they’ll be more likely to choose healthy, humane vegan meals instead.”

For more information, please visit PETA.org.