PETA criticises Jason Momoa for getting bear to eat Oreo from his mouth

‘Please, Jason, don’t promote wild animal exploitation in the future,’ says animal rights organisation

(Getty Images)

PETA has criticised Game of Thrones star Jason Momoa for getting a bear to eat an Oreo cookie out of his mouth.

The actor posted a video on Instagram of the exchange on Saturday, which took place before filming a scene for his new Apple TV+ series, See, in which he fights with a grizzly bear.

Speaking about the scene to Apple Music’s Beats 1 radio show, Momoa revealed the animal was a Kodiak bear that was nine-feet tall.

“You have to get it slowly close to you, and be able to interact with it,” he continued.

“Once the episode comes out, I’ll put it on my Instagram, when I put a cookie in my mouth. And then he eats it up,” Momoa said.

“You see my face with the little cookie and then this massive head comes into the frame and takes [it] out of my mouth, which is like, ‘Why was Jason Momoa‘s face eaten off? Cause he tried to feed a bear with a cookie.’”

Momoa captioned the Instagram post: “The things we do for our ART. SEE. Is out. Please watch on Apple TV+. The bear needs to know your scent. So here’s my cookie kisses big guy. Love you tag. Aloha Baba Voss.”

But animal rights activists were quick to criticise Momoa for his actions, accusing the actor of using his celebrity platform to promote animal exploitation.

“In a sad stunt, a captive bear ate a cookie out of actor Jason Momoa’s mouth,” tweeted PETA.

“Bears used for entertainment are often torn from their mothers as infants, beat, and forced to perform.

“Please, Jason, don’t promote wild animal exploitation in the future.”

In a subsequent tweet, PETA called the use of a real-life bear in film and TV as “totally outdated”.

“Momoa knows how lifelike CGI, animatronics, and other cutting-edge technologies are, but subjecting a bear to the bright lights and bustle of a production set is stressful and totally outdated,” it continued.

“PETA urges the actor to consider compassion and refuse work with wild animals going forward.”

The Independent has contacted Momoa for comment.