Animal rights groups criticize 'Survivor' pig killing

LOS ANGELES (AP)- The slaughter of a pig on "Survivor: The Australian Outback" was condemned Friday as gratuitous and cruel by groups including the Humane Society.

Last Thursday's episode of the CBS reality show, in which contestants fend for themselves in the Australian wild, included a pig's killing by a knife-wielding player.

Wayne Pacelle, a senior president of The Humane Society of the United States, said the animal "died and suffered for entertainment purposes masquerading as 'hunting and gathering."'

A prohibition on acts of animal cruelty should be among the rules governing reality television, Pacelle said in a statement Friday.

The slaughter, which was preceded by a viewer advisory, included shots of player Michael Skupin of White Lake, Mich., holding a bloody knife and footage of the dead pig. The stabbing was not shown.

"I feel better about my position now that I've made this kill," a gleeful Skupin said in the episode. Contestants decide which team members are popular or valuable enough to stay in the game.

The last player left collects $1 million.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said it was outraged by what it called "escalating" violence toward animals, including chickens, on the CBS show. Last year, the group criticized the original "Survivor" when contestants dined on roasted rat.

PETA suggested that a tame pig might have been deliberately placed in harm's way to stage the killing and asked CBS to preserve all unedited videotape relating to the episode.

"PETA's attorneys are in touch with lawyers in Australia who are reviewing existing laws to see whether a criminal act or acts took place," the group said in a statement Friday.

CBS denied the incident was staged and defended the broadcast.

"We firmly believe that our viewers recognize that hunting and fishing as a means of sustenance have been acceptable since the dawn of time," the network said in a statement Friday.

CBS said the show has given exposure to the point of view of vegetarians and animal rights supporters through contestant Kimmi Kappenberg of Ronkonkoma, N.Y., who has opposed meat-eating by other players.

Although most episodes of "Survivor" have been rated PG-TV, suggesting parental guidance, CBS noted that last week's was labeled "TV-14" to indicate material possibly inappropriate for children under 14.