14 DAY TRIAL // Green group PETA now claims that, according to information leaked by several whistleblowers, a white-tipped shark has recently passed away while on the set of a Kmart commercial.
PETA says that the shark was flown to Los Angeles all the way from New York this past March 6, and later on made to swim around in a relatively small pool in Van Nuys, California.
The official website for the organization reports that the shooting of this commercial basically involved having human actors jump in and out of the shark's pool.
This caused the animal to experience tremendous stress, hence its passing away roughly one day later.
“Sharks are delicate animals who, in captivity, require a highly specialized and controlled environment.”
“Sharks have exceptional sensory systems that allow them to detect minute electrical fields and sense low-frequency sounds and vibrations. The noise and chaos of a commercial shoot is a very stressful environment for these sensitive animals,” PETA explains.
The organization hopes that Kmart will agree to launch an investigation into this incident, and that the American Humane Association will also see fit to look into this matter.
“In addition to urging Kmart to adopt a policy against using wild animals in its commercials, PETA is contacting the AHA regarding its failure to protect the shark. One animal death is one too many,” the organization wrote on its website.