The animal rights organization PETA launched a petition demanding that Nintendo modify the Cow character in Mario Kart World by removing the bronze nose ring. PETA described the character’s design as “a symbol of violence against cows in particular and animals in general.”
The organization concluded its letter to Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa, saying:
No cow in the real world is forced to wear a ring like that while smiling naively like in the game.
Leave the rings to our friend Sonic, and let the cow race freely without the painful reminders of industries that treat animals like machines.
It’s worth noting that PETA has a history of targeting games, perhaps most notably PalWorld and Animal Crossing.
