A new racer from Mario Kart World for the Nintendo Switch 2 gained many fans with a cute face and silly smile. The Cowmoo from Cowmoo Meadow is simply a lovable character, who has also caught PETA’s attention – but they have an issue with a part of Cowmoo’s face.
What does PETA demand? PETA made a post on X, directed at Nintendo: “Hey Nintendo, let the cow run free – remove her nose ring!”
This is not a matter of style, but a cruel instrument used in the meat and dairy industries to control and torment cows, inflicting lasting pain and suffering on them.
PETA on X
This is not the first time PETA has taken issue with Nintendo. In 2021, the animal rights group asked if their “Not a Nugget” mascot could become part of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. A year later, they targeted Animal Crossing: New Horizons, for which they published their own “vegan guide” against fishing and catching bugs in the game. Palworld was not spared either.
Despite presumed good intentions, such actions are part of the reason PETA is no longer taken seriously by many people. This is also reflected in the reactions to the Cowmoo call.
Here you can see the trailer for Mario Kart World, in which Cowmoo goes from a grazing obstacle to a racer:
“Leave the rings to Sonic and let the cow breathe free.”
What does PETA write about nose rings for cows? On their website, PETA explains in detail why they want to oppose Cowmoo’s nose ring. The brass ring is seen by the animal rights group as a means of exploitation, through which workers not only control the animals but also drag them to their death.
PETA’s solution is that the small change of removing Cowmoo’s nose ring from Mario Kart World can make a big difference in how players think about animals. A petition has already been started to push Nintendo to take direct action through its signatures.
However, players see this action less as a solution to animal cruelty and more as a waste of time: “How about you take care of REAL cows instead…” (@tubbyfantastic on X)
What is the reaction to PETA’s call? Nintendo has not yet commented on the call, but many players have:
- @korrupted: “Some of the fights you choose… I wonder how meaningful some of them are. And these decisions make it hard for many to take this organization seriously.”
- @BasilTheFennec: “Maybe you should focus more on real-world problems and not a cow from a video game driving a cart. If the cow can make the decision to drive, then she has also chosen to wear a nose ring.”
- @RuffBuffet: “What a privilege that you can seriously complain about a few pixels.”
The response from PETA to these comments remains similarly consistent: “How we see animals in games or entertainment media affects how we treat them in real life.”
In the case of Cowmoo, she is fortunate to look so cute, which PETA highlights on their website. Instead of being boycotted, she should “only” be changed. It is not uncommon for PETA to call for boycotts. A horror film from last year also caught their attention after the director revealed how they filmed a certain scene: “They are the only pest” – PETA calls for a boycott of a horror film because the director used 5,000 live rats for a scene.
