PETA said U.S. Marines caught behind enemy lines should turn to “vegan options” as they fight for life in jungles across the globe.
The animal rights group recently blasted an annual jungle survival exercise known as Cobra Gold because Marines — along with allied troops from around the world — drink cobra blood and kill animals that might keep them alive.
Gen. David Berger, Marine Corps commandant, was sent a letter lamenting “the crude killing of animals during the annual Cobra Gold 2020 military exercise,” Stars and Stripes reported Wednesday.
PETA’s complaint continued by citing the killing of geckos, scorpions, chickens (with bare hands), and other animals as unacceptable.
“SERE [Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape] specialists are already using virtual reality to prepare Air Force pilots for worst-case scenarios, and interactive video games that have food procurement components are now on the market,” wrote Shalin Gala, PETA vice president for international laboratory methods.
“Furthermore, as the Daily Mail notes, ’There are also vegan options too with the jungle being rich in fruit and other lush, edible vegetation,’” she wrote.
The Department of Defense acknowledges that Marines — due to the necessity of the situation — will at times find vegan options in their quest to survive.
“Fruits, vegetables, herbs, insects,” another other options are found in the jungle, the government wrote during coverage of 2018’s training exercise.
Cobra blood, however, may be crucial at times for staying alive.
“In the wilderness you can drink the blood of a snake to stay hydrated,” Royal Thai Marine Corps Master Sgt. Pairoj Prasansai, a jungle survival training instructor, told U.S. allies during February 2018’s training in Sattahip, Thailand.
“Snakes can provide you with both the food and water you need to survive,” he added.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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