Step into Peta 2’s iChicken box, and step into the shoes of a chicken on its way to a slaughterhouse.
Peta 2, PETA's youth division, brought its traveling virtual reality experience to University of North Florida’s campus Wednesday, giving students a new perspective on an animal’s feelings. With help from special goggles, a backpack, arm bands and cameras, students became chickens heading to a slaughterhouse.
Peta 2 crew member Grace Woodward said this helps students see animals as more than just food. She said that animals can feel emotions like fear, and chickens know they will be killed. That’s what the virtual reality display showcases.
"They know it’s coming, they can hear what the farmer is saying, and also in a real case scenario (we don't show this) chickens do get killed in front of each other,” said Woodward. “So you definitely do know what’s going to happen.”
Woodward said that students who experience the virtual reality empathize with the chickens afterwards.
“This has encouraged many people to leave animals off their plate,” she said.
UNF student Emily Mesiano was the middleman between PETA and UNF on bringing the display to campus. She is the president of the UNF Animal Activist club, and said that the virtual reality display was very realistic.
“It definitely makes you sympathize with them, “ she said. “It’s not a great life that they have, so it makes you definitely not want to eat chicken anymore.”
Mesiano is already a vegan, but she said that the display enforced how she already felt towards eating animals.
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