For Immediate Release:
7 July 2003
Contact:
Anuradha Sawhney 98201 22602, Email: AnuradhaS@peta.org
Mumbai – International male supermodel Marcus Schenkenberg, who is in the country this week to shoot ads for an editorial campaign for V Magazine, took time out of his whirlwind schedule to unveil a new ad for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Inspired by a widely publicized incident in which he freed a bird who had become trapped in his hotel room, the ad shows a buff, shirtless Marcus freeing a bird from a cage with the tagline, ‘Let birds fly free. A cage is a prison.’ Marcus held a news conference to unveil the ad at Mumbai’s prestigious Hyatt hotel.
The ad is part of PETA’s international campaign to raise awareness about the cruelty involved in the capture, breeding and caging of birds who should be left in their jungle homes to fly free, raise their own families and enjoy life in the treetops.
This is not the first time that Marcus has put his famous physique to work for animals. He posed nude for a live ‘human billboard’ in New York City’s Times Square to launch PETA’s ‘Turn Your Back on Fur’ Campaign, and he joined PETA in launching the ‘no fur’ dress code at New York’s popular Tunnel nightclub.
A statement from Marcus follows.
Statement
I am thrilled that I could do something for the animals in India on my first trip to this beautiful country.
One thing that breaks my heart is the sight of caged birds who are imprisoned for no other reason than to be used as decoration in homes and shops. I was horrified when my friends at PETA told me about the suffering these birds endure before they are turned into trophies.
I have always had an affinity with birds. I grew up in Stockholm and have fond memories of watching birds frolic in my back garden as they chirped happily and flew from one tree to the other. In fact, a few years back while visiting with PETA director Dan Mathews and my friend Pamela Anderson in Monte Carlo, I discovered a little blackbird trapped in the room. I gently picked up the tiny bird, brought him to the balcony and set him free.
Not all birds are that lucky. Tens of thousands of parrots and other birds are captured from their native homes and exported to other countries every year. Because the exportation of captured parrots is illegal, they are smuggled out in cramped containers—sometimes stuffed into socks and placed in shoes, small boxes or even toilet paper rolls. It’s no surprise that half of these birds die before ever reaching a new shore.
In the wild, these sociable birds preen each other, fly together, play and share egg incubation duties. They are never alone, and if separated even for a moment, they call wildly to their flock mates. Many species of birds mate for life and share parenting tasks. This life is a far cry from what most birds endure in captivity, where they are usually kept in a cage all alone, sometimes for decades. Denied companionship and the ability to fly, they can become so neurotic and self-destructive [that] they will pull out their own feathers.
Exotic birds are suffering and dying in droves simply so people can have a ‘conversation piece’ in the living room. The only way to shut down the cruel bird trade is to stop buying and caging birds.
A few days ago, I saw some birds playing on the edge of the lake at Udaipur. They were swooping down and skimming the surface of the lake before flying up again in glee, and I thought to myself that this freedom is the essence of a bird. It made me sad to think of all the birds who are denied this freedom.
Please, let’s empty the cages. Jaanvaron ko Aazadi Deejiye. (May all animals be free.)
—Marcus Schenkenberg, Mumbai July 2003
