'Survivor' criticized on pig killing

LOS ANGELES — The slaughter of a pig on "Survivor: The Australian Outback" was condemned as gratuitous and cruel by animal rights groups.

On the Thursday episode of the CBS reality show, a knife-wielding player stabbed the wild pig to death and provided a source of food for hungry contestants. They also ate chicken after winning a challenge that rewarded them with three chickens and a rooster.

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 Friday.

The slaughter, which was preceded by a viewer advisory, included shots of 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 are left to fend for themselves in the Australian wild, deciding 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 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.

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.

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