Thaindian News

Mumbai, April 21 (IANS) People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has re-launched its advertisement featuring dancer Sandip Soparrkar and his supermodel wife Jesse Randhawa calling for people to boycott snake shows, a PETA official said here Thursday.

In the photo taken for the ad, Randhawa is transformed into a snake in a form-fitting bodysuit designed by Gavin Miguel, while Soparrkar charms her with a flute.

The ad reads - “Snakes are not natural performers - we are. Boycott all snake shows”.

“The ad features Sandeep and Jesse, who are also going to perform at the British royal reception of Prince William and Kate Middleton,” a PETA spokesperson said.

According to PETA, snakes are trapped and taken from their natural habitats to make them perform at these shows. Their teeth are yanked out without any pain-killers, their mouths are often sewn shut (leaving a little gap to pour down water or milk) and their venom ducts are often pierced with a hot needle, causing the glands to burst and incapacitating the reptiles’ most effective defence mechanism.

“None of these snakes live very long, and death comes slowly and painfully. Snakes would never drink cow’s milk and being forced to consume it harms them,” the spokesperson said.

“The ‘dance’ these snakes perform is actually a terrified reactive sway to the snake charmer’s movements as a means of self-defence from ‘attack’ by the pipe,” the spokesperson added.

According to PETA, the Indian Wildlife Act of 1972 has banned snake shows. “But snake charmers show their disregard for the law and these animals by continuing their cruel ways,” the spokesperson added.