Premier League team Crystal Palace have been asked to stop making a live eagle part of its match day entertainment.

The South London club’s nickname is The Eagles. At some matches, a handler brings Phoenix, a real American bald eagle, into the stadium to pose for photos with fans.

In a letter to the club, animal welfare charity PETA said: “Crystal Palace already has a human mascot to energise supporters, so there’s no reason to drag a wild animal into a noisy, crowded stadium.”

It warned that the experience could frighten the bird and put supporters at risk.

Palace’s first live eagle mascot was Kayla. From 2010 until her death in 2020, it became tradition for the beloved bird to perform a pre-match aerial display, flying the length of the pitch from one crossbar to the other.

Kayla’s replacement, Phoenix, mostly lives at the Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation in Kent. She was first introduced to fans as a four-month-old in 2024. At the time, the foundation said she “had been carefully prepared for her prestigious role as Crystal Palace’s official live mascot since hatching”.

Crystal Palace have yet to comment on PETA’s letter.