Animal rights group asks Nintendo to remove nose ring from popular cow in 'Mario Kart World'



One month after its release, Mario Kart World has sold 5.63 million copies worldwide, with 97% of Nintendo Switch 2 buyers having purchased it. The game features a new character, a cow . Animal rights groups are calling on Nintendo to remove the cow's nose ring.

It's-a Mean! PETA Asks Nintendo to Remove 'Cow's' Nose Ring | PETA
https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/its-a-mean-peta-asks-nintendo-to-remove-cows-nose-ring/



Urge Nintendo to Give “Cow” a Compassionate Glow-Up | Save Animals | peta2
https://action.peta2.com/page/86849/petition/1?utm_source=peta2::urge-nintendo-to-give-cow-a-compassionate-glow-up

On August 14, 2025, local time, the animal rights organization PETA posted the following image to Nintendo via its official Twitter account, calling on Nintendo to remove the nose ring from the cow that appears in Nintendo's 'Mario Kart World.'




PETA's vice president of marketing and engagement, Joel Bartlett, wrote an open letter to Nintendo's president, Shuntaro Furukawa, explaining the use of nose rings in the meat and dairy industries: 'The meat and dairy industries use brass nose rings to exploit, control, and drive animals to death. Workers pierce cows and bulls' sensitive nasal septums with nose rings, and sometimes chain them to bulls' horns to inflict pain.'




PETA added: 'In the dairy industry, calves are sometimes fitted with spiked nose rings to injure their mothers while nursing, leading to calf rejection. It's hard to enjoy the game with such distressing icons on your screen.'

'We know Mario Kart World is just a game, which is why the cows' nose rings should be removed,' Bartlett said. 'Mario Kart should be a fun escape, not a reminder of the painful tools used on cows in the meat and dairy industries. No one wants to think about animal suffering while racing around the course.'

PETA also stated, 'Fortunately, there is a perfect and incredibly simple solution: remove the nose ring. This small change will have a big impact on how players think about animals,' and argued that removing the cow's nose ring would significantly change the public's perception of cows.

PETA continued to post, 'The internet is hearing our calls to Nintendo. In reality, nose rings hurt cows! Tell Nintendo to give cows a compassionate makeover,' asking ordinary users to make their voices heard.




Furthermore, PETA has sparked controversy online by calling on Nintendo's Mario Kart World to remove the cow's nose ring. 'Ignoring the cow's nose ring in Nintendo's games is like ignoring real-world animal cruelty. Nose rings used by the meat and dairy industries are cruel devices that cause pain and discomfort. How can a cow that is forced to wear a nose ring in the real world be expected to smile playfully in a game?' The movement calling for the removal of cow's nose rings has sparked controversy online.

PETA Mario Kart World Controversy Challenges Nintendo | PETA
https://www.peta.org/news/peta-mario-kart-world-controversy-cow-nose/

PETA has also previously called for changes to wording in games such as 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons,' 'Pal World,' and 'Hunting Simulator 2,' arguing that they may encourage cruelty to animals, fish, and insects.

PETA has also created animal-friendly versions of games, such as 'Pokémon Black/Blue,' a parody of the Pocket Monsters game in which Pokémon battle each other, in which Pokémon free other Pokémon that have been hurt by their trainers.

Pokémon Black and White Parody Game: Pokémon Black and Blue | PETA.org
https://games.peta.org/pokemon-black-and-white-parody/



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in Game, Posted by logu_ii