Sega pulls Samba De Amigo advert
Publisher withdraws the video commercial following PETA's complaint over animal abuse
Sega has pulled an advert for its maraca rhythm game, Samba De Amigo, following a complaint by the animal rights activist group, PETA, over the use of chimpanzee 'actors'.
PETA contacted the videogames publisher over the video commercial for the new Wii game and registered its complaint. Upon hearing PETA's allegations of abuse used by trainers against chimpanzee actors the company apparently pulled the advert.
"We're officially bananas about Sega," commented the animal rights group on its blog.
"After learning that Sega used a real chimpanzee in an online video promoting Samba De Amigo we contacted the company... We explained how involuntary chimpanzee 'actors' are taken away from their mothers when they are just a year or so old," the post explained.
"We also explained some of the horrible methods that chimpanzee 'trainers' use, such as electric shocks with shock collars and prods, isolation, beatings with sawed-off pool cues and slapjacks, and food deprivation."
"Sega pulled the video from its site and promised to keep all great apes out of its ads!"