People for the Ethical Treatment of animals (PETA) is calling on Nintendo to remove the nose ring from the “Cow” character in Mario Kart World, arguing that it normalizes animal cruelty. According to Peta, “The nose ring of Cow in Nintendo’s game hides the cruelty against animals in the real world.” The organization claims that in the meat and dairy industry, such rings are cruel instruments causing pain and discomfort. “No cow in the real world that is forced to wear a nose ring would ever show the crazy grin of Cow in Nintendo’s game,” said the organization.

In a letter to Nintendo CEO Shuntaro Furukawa on August 14, Joel Bartlett van Peta wrote that “Nose rings with violence are punctured by one of the most sensitive parts of the body of a cow.” He also states: “The copper ring in cows nose hides the violence in the real world. let Cow racing freely – without memories of the industries that treat animals like machines.”

PETA: ‘We know it is just a game’

“We know that Mario Kart World is just a game- and that is exactly why Cow’s nose ring has to be removed.”

According to Peta, it’s not just a minor detail in a game: “We know that Mario Kart World is just a game- and that is exactly why Cow’s nose ring has to be removed. Mario Kart must be a nice escape, not a reminder of the painful tools that cows use in the meat and dairy industry.”

In 2024, Peta De Efteling appealed to remove horses and other animals from the merry-go-rounds. Peta also stated that another game from Ninterto, animal Crossing: New Horizons Encourages “abuse behavior towards fish and insects.”