British singer Jane Birkin denounced cruel treatment endured by crocodiles during their slaughter reportedly carried out for the production of Hermès croco bags. (Photo : YouTube)
A recent exposé by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on the cruel slaughter of crocodiles has prompted British actress and singer Jane Birkin to demand that Hermès International SCA remove her name from the coveted luxury crocodile skin bag.
Animal rights activists were appalled with the report released by PETA following investigations and documentation of worker practices in Winnie, Texas and Zimbabwe.
The exposé, published in the PETA website, and which has wended its way in major news sites, detailed how alligator factories resort to crude hacking of alligators' necks or shooting heads with the use of a captive-bolt gun after confining them in dank pools. The skins obtained are then dispatched to an Hermès-owned tannery.
Hermès belied the reports, pointing at an acute need to more closely monitor the company's supply chains. The luxury products manufacturer upheld that it adheres to the highest standards in treating animal species ethically and in accordance with rules set by international bodies. The company has conducted an investigation at the Texas farm, and disavowed ownership, US Weekly reported.
After announcing her stand on the matter, Birkin was commended by PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. Birkin is the former wife of English composer John Barry and former lover of French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas met her in 1981 en route to London from Paris.
Dumas fashioned a customized leather bag for her that was christened the Birkin bag. Birkin bags, objects of desire of many Hollywood celebrities, sell at a retail price of $60,000 to $100,000 and beyond.
