PETA Members Bury Their Heads in Sand at Prada as ‘Skinned Ostrich’ Protests

This ostrich wants his skin back. PETA’s life-size “ostrich” stood guard outside of Prada’s Rodeo Drive store with a sign proclaiming, “Heads in Sand? Ostriches Slaughtered for Bags,” as two PETA members kneeled on the ground with their heads “buried” in a sandbox.

PETA recently released the first-ever exposé of the highly secretive ostrich-slaughter industry, in which young ostriches are kept in barren dirt feedlots until they are trucked to slaughterhouses. There, the 1-year-old birds are turned upside down in a stunner, are ejected to have their throats slit, and have their feathers plucked out, creating the bumpy-textured skin used in Prada’s handbags and store sofas.

“Every ostrich-leather bag and sofa in Prada’s stores came from smart, sensitive, and curious young birds who were shocked, slaughtered, plucked, and skinned,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is calling on shoppers to steer clear of Prada’s pockmarked purses and instead choose from the many stylish cruelty-free accessories available from kinder retailers.”

What You Can Do

You can ask Prada and Hermès to stop selling ostrich skins by clicking below.