Australia 'cruel': PETA targets tourist market

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Australia 'cruel': PETA targets tourist market

A US-based animal rights group has launched a gruesome new video campaign in its war with the Australian government and sheep farmers.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) hopes to target tourists to Australia with the graphic, bloody video which shows farmers mulesing sheep and uses the Australian anthem as the soundtrack.

The video ends with the slogan, "There's nothing like Australia's cruelty to sheep," a spoof of Tourism Australia's marketing slogan, "There's nothing like Australia".

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PETA will run the spot on tourism websites and post it on YouTube.

"We're asking travellers to help send the message to the Australian government that there is no excuse for allowing mulesing mutilations to continue," PETA executive vice-president Tracy Reiman said.

"By refusing to crack down on the wool industry, Australian leaders have the blood of tens of millions of lambs on their hands."

Mulesing involves the removal of skin from a sheep's rear end.

PETA and Australian farmers have been battling for almost a decade over mulesing, with the animal rights group persuading some of the world's largest clothing companies to ban the use of wool from mulesed Australian sheep.

Farmers have argued mulesing is necessary for sheep to avoid flystrike, which can be fatal to the animals.

AAP

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