Home » Football » Premier League » Crystal Palace F.C.

Crystal Palace asked to retire eagle mascot by PETA: ‘Wildlife doesn’t belong in a stadium’

Palace's nickname is the Eagles and the club have used an American bald eagle as a mascot for many years.

The Athletic

Published: Tuesday, 20 October 2026 at 2:56 PM

Key Things to Know

PETA has urged Crystal Palace to immediately retire their live bald eagle mascot, Phoenix.
The animal charity sent a letter to club chief executive Sharon Lacey requesting a permanent end to live mascots.
Phoenix made a matchday appearance at Selhurst Park during Palace's home opener against Manchester City.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Animal rights organization PETA has formally written to Crystal Palace chief executive Sharon Lacey asking the club to immediately retire their live American bald eagle mascot, Phoenix. PETA argued that noisy stadiums cause birds to become frightened and disoriented, urging the Premier League club to commit to never using live animal mascots in the future.

Phoenix, based at Kent's Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation, debuted at Selhurst Park during Palace's season opener against Manchester City. The eagle replaced Kayla, who passed away in 2020 after serving as Palace's mascot for ten years, an era that included a 2015 incident where an opposing supporter attempted to attack the bird.

Read the full article on The Athletic

Crystal Palace asked to retire eagle mascot by PETA: ‘Wildlife doesn’t belong in a stadium’

More Crystal Palace Fc News

Never Miss a Sports Update