PETA Knows a Monkey Selfie Is Worth More Than a 1000 Word$
I’m going to play Devil’s advocate here and say I’m not entirely sure when PETA (the non-profit animal rights organization whose 2016 numbers showed $50,577,357 in operating expenses, $67,034,918 in total revenue and net asset increases of $16,457,561) sued on behalf of Naruto, the selfie snapping macaque monkey, that it was seeking financial control of the photographs entirely for the benefit of the monkey…if you know what I mean.
And don’t make bring up the fact that PETA euthanized 84% of supposedly “unadoptable” animals within 24 hours of their arrival in 2011 and 88% of the dogs and cats that came through its Norfolk, Virginia headquarter’s doors in 2014.
- From KPIX CBS San Francisco Bay Area: The suit against David Slater and Blurb – which published a book called “Wildlife Personalities” featuring the monkey selfies – claimed copyright infringement and sought to use proceeds from the photos to benefit the crested macaque, named Naruto.
The monkey snapped a handful of perfectly-framed selfies using Slater’s unattended camera in 2011. PETA’s lawsuit sought a court order allowing it to administer all proceeds from the photos taken in wildlife reserve in Sulawesi, Indonesia.
As part of the settlement, Slater agreed to donate 25 percent of future revenue from the monkey selfies to charities dedicated to protecting Naruto’s habitat. #monkeyshines