October 21: Animal rights group Peta has called on Crystal Palace to remove Phoenix, the club’s live bald eagle mascot, saying on match days it can leave the bird “scared, disoriented and panicked” and put spectators at risk.
In a letter to chief executive Sharon Lacey, Peta asked the club to end Phoenix’s appearances at Selhurst Park and commit to never using a live animal mascot again.
Palace have been known as the Eagles since 1973, when manager Malcolm Allison changed the nickname to the Glaziers. Kayla the Eagle began pre-match displays in 2010 and served for a decade until her death in 2020. Phoenix made her debut four months before a match against West Ham in August 2024, meeting supporters in the fan zone and appearing at half-time with her handler.
It is based at the Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation in Kent, which it said at the time had been “carefully prepared for its prestigious role” since hatching. She doesn’t attend every game, and plans for her first pregame flight across the field, a ritual Kayla was known for, were abandoned in one game this season.
PETA argues that bright lights, loud noise and large crowds make stadiums “no place for animals.” His letter cites eagles crashing into walls and windows, and a hawk landing on a spectator’s head. He also referred to a League Cup tie in 2015 when a Charlton fan was convicted of trying to punch Kayla.
“Bald eagles are revered as symbols of freedom, but Phoenix is being used as little more than a prop to entertain football fans,” said Dr Carys Bennett, Peta’s senior director of corporate projects. “Crystal Palace already have a human mascot to energize the fans, so there’s no reason to drag a wild animal into a noisy, crowded stadium.”
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