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People have been appalled to learn that the black caps worn by members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the King’s Guard in the U.K. as part of their ceremonial uniforms are not made of faux fur but of the skin of slaughtered bears.
Please join PETA in urging Canadian officials to use their influence to help replace bearskin with faux fur for military ceremonial headpieces in Canada and abroad.
A shocking PETA investigation shows hunters in Canada setting out drums of cookies, bread, and sticky, greasy food before shooting hungry bears, lured by the smell, with crossbows. Animals who have been shot often run for their lives. As many as one bear in seven escapes wounded and endures a slow, painful death from blood loss or starvation.
In some provinces, a springtime bear hunt is permitted. Mother bears seeking food for their cubs may be among those killed, leading to the death of entire families. Hunters are allowed to kill bears using a variety of weapons, including guns and high-powered crossbows. In some parts of the country, even using spears—which cause bears a hideously slow and painful death—is legal.
Once hunters have slaughtered the bears, they often keep parts of their bodies, such as the head and claws, as “macho” trophies and sell or auction off the bear fur, which cap makers use to produce the distinctive tall black hats.
Using real fur sends the message that it’s “OK” to lure and shoot animals to death for the sake of a hat. PETA U.K. and ECOPEL have developed a faux bear fur that serves as a viable alternative to bearskin. It looks virtually identical, is the same unique length as bear hair, is 100% waterproof, and performs in a remarkably similar way to real bear fur in water-shedding tests. With this innovative faux-fur option available, there’s no excuse for the CAF or the King’s Guard to use hats made from the fur of slaughtered bears in their ceremonies.
Please use the form below to urge the Department of National Defence to ban bear-fur hats and switch to faux fur and to urge the high commissioner for Canada in the U.K. to use his influence to help replace bearskin with faux fur for the King’s Guard’s caps.