SMYRNA, Ga. — A national animal rights organization is taking aim at a metro-Atlanta event and an animal show it believes is cruel.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) released a statement on their website showing frustration that city officials in Smyrna, Georgia plan to have a live grizzly bear as part of their attractions in the annual festival.
According to PETA, the attraction, dubbed A Grizzly Experience, had a handler clawed during a fair about a year before – and that Smyrna was aware of this.
The organization refers back to a blog posted online for The Post Star of Glens Falls, New York on July 24, 2017. However, the first-hand account never makes reference to any reports or official documentation of the incident.
The newspaper also appears to have no other coverage of the bear attack.
PETA claims that holding bears captive is cruelty and leads to the animals becoming violent while also likening the practice to that of the now-defunct Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
On the other hand, the city of Smyrna bills the show as an educational demonstration that "offers an up close and personal look into the life of the Alaskan grizzly bear" while also demonstrating "the amazing bond between bear and man."
The city, in their official calendar, also goes into detail about the treatment of the bears with a statement that reads, in part:
The show is strictly educational and extremely sensitive to animal rights and care. They have structured the show to be more of a playtime session for the bears where they bring all three out at the same time and let them play while they talk about them and bear safety as well as getting them to perform a few natural behaviors.
The strictly educational experience includes information on what to do if one encounters bears or a bear in the wild (or a wild bear in your neighborhood habitat) and other information about bear behavior.
11Alive has reached out to Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon for comment but has yet to receive a response.
The festival is scheduled for April 28 and 29.
