Action Needed! Tell Your MP to Support Faux Fur for the King’s Guard’s Caps

It’s outrageous that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) continues to order caps made from the fur of slaughtered bears and is doing nothing to find a suitable alternative – tell your MP to act now!

Read Less -

Baited and Shot with Guns and Crossbows

Many people have no idea that the iconic black caps worn by the King’s Guards are made from real bear fur. Canadian black bears are baited by trophy hunters with sweet, sticky food and then shot with guns and even high-powered crossbows that would be illegal to use to hunt wildlife in the UK. Those who escape may suffer for hours or days from blood loss, dehydration, starvation, or exposure. When mothers are killed, their cubs are likely to die too.

The bear’s fur is then sold to auction houses, where it is purchased to be made into caps for the MoD. Every one of those caps represents the life of at least one bear.

Cruelty at a High Cost to Taxpayers

The use of real bear fur in the King’s Guard’s caps isn’t just cruel – it’s also a huge waste of public money. Each bearskin cap costs around £2,500, and the Ministry of Defence has spent over £1 million of taxpayers’ money on these ceremonial hats in the past decade alone, with over 1,000 bears losing their lives.

The MoD Must Act

The MoD has repeatedly stated that it is not wedded to bear fur and will switch to faux fur when a suitable alternative becomes available but has taken no action to pursue a faux fur. Despite the Labour Party vowing to ban fur imports and carry out an immediate review of the possible alternatives to bear fur when it came into power – stating that traditions must develop and adapt – there has been no progress and orders of bearskin caps have increased since the party has been in power. With all of the resources at the MoD’s disposal and the vast availability of faux fur fabric on the market, it is outrageous that it continues to support the slaughter of bears overseas by purchasing bearskin caps.

Take Action for Bears

You can take action for bears today by urging your MP to sign Early Day Motion (EDM) 2907 to support a switch to faux fur for the King’s Guard’s caps.

Early Day Motions are a way for MPs to show support for an issue and help push for change. The more MPs sign, the higher the chance it will be debated.

It’s never been more important to urge your MP to act – please fill out the form today and share this action alert with everyone you know.

Please read the message below and fill out the form to send it to your MP. Please note: You must have a UK postcode to take this action.

View Message +

Dear {contact_data~firstName} {contact_data~lastName},

I’m writing to urge you to sign Early Day Motion 2907, calling for a switch to faux fur for the King’s Guard’s caps.

Many people are unaware that these iconic caps are made from the fur of at least one black bear each, who are killed in Canada by recreational trophy hunters. Bears are baited and then shot with guns or high-powered crossbows. They may suffer for hours or even days from blood loss, dehydration, starvation, or exposure before dying. In many cases where nursing mothers are killed, their cubs are left to starve.

The MoD continues to support this slaughter of bears overseas by purchasing caps made from their fur. The Labour Party has committed to banning fur imports and carrying out a review of the alternatives to bearskin, acknowledging that traditions must develop and adapt, yet the number of caps ordered has increased since it has been in power. There has been no work done to develop a faux fur cap despite the availability of faux fur and the resources at the MoD’s disposal to find a suitable alternative.

EDM 2907 recognises the UK’s commitment to animal welfare and urges the Government to act on existing promises to scrap bear fur caps. By signing it, you can help push for an end to the UK supporting the hunting and killing of bears in Canada and the development of faux fur caps that reflect 21st Century British values.

I hope you will add your name to EDM 2907 and stand up for the bears.

Kind regards,

{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}
{user_data~Email Address}
{user_data~Address 1}
{user_data~City}
{user_data~Postcode}

Send Your Message

Fields with an asterisk(*) are required.

First Name

Last Name

Address 1

City

Country/Region

Postcode

E-Mail Address

Staying in Touch
As a PETA supporter, you're already helping to save the lives of animals. To show you how we put our supporters' donations to good use and to provide you with information on ways you can continue to help animals, including how to become a PETA member or make donations to support our work, we may contact you by post using the information you've provided in this form.

PETA News

Yes

Support our work to save animals. Select YES to receive e-mails, including about other ways to help animals, such as by signing petitions and funding PETA's lifesaving work.

IMG Source

UN MIS Hidden Thank You Text w/ Social Sharing Email Info - *Important Note* You must UNLINK this shared library component before making page-specific customizations.