Overview

• People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals addressed an open letter to Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa asking for Cow’s brass nose ring to be removed or redesigned.
• In its letter, PETA highlighted that brass nose rings are crudely stabbed through cattle septums and can inflict lasting pain and discomfort.
• Cow has emerged as a breakout character in Mario Kart World on the Nintendo Switch 2, boosting visibility of the design detail.
• Nintendo has yet to respond formally and the brass ring remains part of Cow’s in-game appearance.
• The appeal builds on PETA’s history of targeting video game content and tests whether Nintendo will adjust its character designs under activist pressure.