posted on November 21, 2011 21:24
For perhaps the last 200 years, five regiments of the Queen's guards — the Grenadier, Welsh, Irish, Scots and Coldstream Guards, who protect Buckingham Palace and other royal sites — have worn real bearskin hats.
To supply these hats, Canadian bears are legally shot or trapped in foot snares across the provinces. What makes these bear killings extremely cruel is that bears who are shot and escape die painfully from blood loss, starvation or infection.
Other bears who are trapped in foot snares suffer excruciating pain because as they struggle, the snare loop tightens and tightens, often cutting into their skin, and cutting off their circulation.
While the UK army has already gotten rid of the beaver hats and leopard skins worn by some of its soldiers and replaced them with artificial materials, the Ministry of Defense is still dragging its heels in regards to the busby (bearskin hat).
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