'Cookie kisses': Jason Momoa criticised over 'exploited bear' biscuit stunt
Game Of Thrones star Jason Momoa puts a biscuit in his mouth and lets the giant brown bear take it from his lips.
Sunday 3 November 2019 15:41, UK
Jason Momoa has been criticised by an animal welfare charity after feeding a bear a biscuit from his mouth.
The Game Of Thrones star shared a video showing him performing the stunt behind the scenes of his new Apple TV+ show See.
The video shows the 40-year-old actor in costume, coming face to face with the kodiac brown bear.
Kneeling down in a fenced area, Momoa puts a biscuit in his mouth and the bear then gently takes it from his lips.
The actor then stands up, wipes his face and smiles.
American charity People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) say the bear is being exploited.
PETA's captive animal law enforcement director Brittany Peet said in a statement: "Momoa apparently doesn't realise that there's no behind-the-scenes justice for this exploited bear.
"Wild animals are often torn away from their mothers as infants and thrown into a life in which trainers frequently use cruel techniques such as food deprivation, beatings, electric shocks and chaining to force them to perform.
"Momoa knows how convincing and lifelike computer-generated imagery, 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technologies are, but subjecting a bear to the bright lights and bustle of a production set is stressful and totally outdated, so we hope he'll refuse to participate in stunts involving wild animals in the future."
Kodiak bears originate from southwest Alaska, and can grow to 1.5 meters (5ft) and weigh around 600kg.
Alongside his Instagram video, Momoa wrote: "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."
His character Baba Voss is understood to fight the animal in one scene of the post-apocalyptic drama.
is set in a world around 200 years in the future, where most humans have been wiped out by a deadly virus and those who are left are blind.
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Written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, it's one of Apple's flagship shows.
The company hope their streaming service will challenge market leaders Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
Another new competitor will also enter the fray soon, with in the US next week, and the UK early next year.