New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. caught the ire of PETA over his post on Instagram showing him playing ball with a tiger and a chimpanzee.
Beckham was visiting with his friend Mike Holston, who specializes in animal education and conservation, who took the wide receiver to the Myrtle Beach Safari, which helps raise money for the Rare Species Fund, and rescues exotic animals from abuse.
PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) released the following statement about OBJ’s social media post (h/t NJ.com):
“THESE SENSITIVE AND MUCH-ABUSED ANIMALS BELONG WITH THEIR FAMILIES IN NATURE, NOT PIMPED OUT AS PROPS BY SHAMELESS ROADSIDE ZOOS. WE’RE SURE THAT ODELL BECKHAM JR. HAD NO IDEA THAT THE SLEAZY SAFARI PARK WHERE THIS YOUNG CHIMPANZEE IS KEPT HAS A LENGTHY RECORD OF VIOLATING FEDERAL LAW AND USES GREAT APES AND BIG-CAT CUBS IN CHEAP PUBLICITY STUNTS LIKE THIS. THESE ENCOUNTERS ARE INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS, AND PETA URGES EVERYONE—INCLUDING BECKHAM, WHO CERTAINLY DOESN’T WANT ANOTHER INJURY—TO STEER CLEAR OF CRUEL FACILITIES THAT EXPLOIT ANIMALS.”