People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, in short PETA, has demanded to stop animals eating and unethical military exercises like Cobra gold exercises. They sent a letter to General David Berger, the program in charge in which they expressed their concerns about the brutal killing of the animals and drinking of their blood.
In the letter, it was mentioned that scorpions swallowing and drinking of cobra blood is neither any civilized act nor does it match the standards of healthy military activity. The military drills were more like any high school party gone wrong. On this act of violence, PETA called the Marine Corps to respond immediately and take strict and timely actions to replace Cobra gold exercises with healthy ones. Shalin Gala from PETA further mentioned that these drills are mean to exploit forest animals by cutting and eating them brutally and it created concerns among the whole community.
She further urged to replace these drills with healthy options which include the use of technology to improve military skills. She referred to a recent story from cobra gold exercises in which armed forces members were learning the skills to de-fang tarantulas and eating them. Other drills include eating lizards, drinking scorpion blood and other brutal acts in the name of survival in the forest.
Keep in mind that these are common cobra gold exercises that are conducted annually on a multinational basis and are sponsored by the US and the Thailand Army. Members from several countries join to conduct this training which makes these training the most photographed military training around the globe. In the battle for survival, the armed personnel eat anything and will consume any liquid for drinking that comes in their way. On the other hand, PETA suggested the use of technology for these exercises. Therefore, soldiers will learn the skills and at the same time, no harm will be done to wild animals.
