Peta urges Crystal Palace to retire live bald eagle mascot at Selhurst Park

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wrote to Crystal Palace chief executive Sharon Lacey on 21 October 2026, urging the Premier League club to retire its live bald eagle mascot immediately and stop using live animals in pre-match displays at Selhurst Park.

Crystal Palace have been known as the Eagles since 1973 and were rebranded in the mid-1970s after previously being called the Glaziers. The club first introduced a live eagle to matchdays in 2010; Kayla performed that role for 10 years before her death in 2020 and was replaced by Phoenix, who made her debut against West Ham in August 2024.

In their letter, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said a "bright stadium filled with boisterous fans is no place for animals" and asked Crystal Palace to stop using Phoenix in pre-match displays and to never use live animal mascots again. The organisation framed the request as one focused on animal welfare and safety at Selhurst Park.

Peta argued that birds can become "frightened, disoriented and panicked" in stadium environments and said using them for displays and entertainment denies animals who "would naturally avoid humans" the opportunity to engage with their natural instincts, leading to "frustration and stress." These descriptions formed the core of the group's welfare concerns outlined in the correspondence.

The organisation said it holds "detailed records" of incidents involving live mascots, citing cases of birds being injured or killed in collisions with walls, windows and match balls, and recalling an episode in which a falcon embedded its talons in a spectator's scalp after landing on his head. The letter also noted that in 2017 a Charlton Athletic fan was found guilty of trying to punch Kayla the eagle at a League Cup fixture two years earlier.

Dr Carys Bennett, Peta's senior corporate projects manager, reiterated the organisation's position in a statement: "Many professional sports teams use only willing humans as mascots and the club already has Pete the Eagle to excite the crowd," she said. "Bald eagles are widely recognised as symbols of freedom. They deserve better than to be used as an entertainment prop to amuse the Eagles' fans."

Peta's demand, formally addressed to Sharon Lacey, requests the immediate retirement of Phoenix from matchday duties at Selhurst Park and a permanent end to the club's use of live animal mascots.