PETA urges Danny Boyle to scrap live animal plans at Olympics

Animals rights workers are piling pressure on moviemaker Danny Boyle to drop his plan to use chickens and sheep at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games.

The Slumdog Millionaire director was slammed by animal rights organisation Viva! earlier this month after unveiling his proposal to use 12 horses, 10 chickens, 70 sheep and nine geese at the launch of the sporting event in London next month.

Now Ingrid Newkirk, founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), has sent a private letter to Boyle urging him to reconsider his plans.

A PETA spokesman tells WENN, "Animals become stressed and anxious when they are forced into unfamiliar or frightening situations. All the bright lights, heavy equipment, noisy crowds and fireworks at the opening ceremony will create a traumatic environment... By contrast, the use of clever animatronics would create a show of Olympic proportions, without harming any living beings."