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Oscar-winning actor Mark Rylance – often considered the world’s greatest actor – has said one day people will look back in horror at our treatment of other species.
Sir Mark, who is currently vegetarian and says he wants to work towards being vegan – has teamed up with vegan charity PETA to make two videos about the horrors of animal performance – and about our general treatment of animals.
Sir Mark talks about animal suffering
Horror of animal treatment
“I think people will look back in horror at our treatment of animals today,” he said in one video.
“There could be such a richer, more valuable relationship for us with animals.
“This ruling cosmology of the world at the moment that we are somehow separate from nature, that we are not animals ourselves […] is so isolating and solitary for people – and just not true.”
Sir Mark urges people not to watch animal performances
Animal suffering
In the other video, he urged people not to watch animal performances, speaking specifically about bears.
According to PETA, traveling shows ‘torment bears, from chaining and muzzling them to preventing them from digging, roaming, hibernating, and doing anything else that’s natural and important to them’.
“Wherever you see bears performing, they’re suffering,” said Sir Mark. “Speaking as an actor, we should be clever enough to entertain people ourselves without putting animals through this kind of torture.
“Please don’t buy a ticket to an event ?? a circus, a fair, any event – where you see a bear performing.”
