There’s something to be said for picking your battles.

Take People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), for example, who didn’t cover themselves in glory when they went after Steve Irwin recently.

Yes, that Steve Irwin.

This time around, PETA are going after peak InstaBro Dan Bilzerian, who fed a bear at his 420 party earlier this month.

Here’s the video doing the rounds:

TMZ was the first to report on the matter:

…the organization is ratting him and Steve Martin’s Working Wildlife — which allegedly provided the bear — out to California authorities. PETA fired off letters Wednesday to the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife and L.A. Department of Animal Services.

In the complaints, obtained by TMZ, PETA claims Dan and Martin did not have the required permit for this type of display, because city regulations expressly prohibit keeping bears in a place where they pose a risk to the public.

PETA also claims that because the bear was not contained in an escape-proof enclosure and because Martin did not maintain a safe distance between the bear and the party-goers, Martin should be stripped of his permits and fined.

Dan replied by saying that PETA could perform a sex act on him:

Dan, I assumed that’s what those Instagram fame-hungry women you hang around with were there for? You only need to check out Dan’s Instagram account, or see the advertising for his new weed company, to see what I’m referring to.

In a press release, PETA outlined other times where they felt Dan exploited animals:

In 2015, he was photographed pulling a giraffe by a leash at one of his Hollywood bashes, which motivated a Los Angeles City Council member to propose a city-wide ban on the use of exotic animals for entertainment…

The list of offenses continues. This past July, a monitor lizard who appeared highly stressed was used as a prop. In 2017, he posted a photo of a woman straddling an endangered Galápagos tortoise…

Animals are not photo props. People may trick themselves into thinking that the animals they pose with are “happy” or “rescued.” But in fact, they’re routinely injured, exploited, and even killed because of human vanity. Turtles are beaten by crowds, sharks are dragged from the ocean to die, and baby tigers are torn away from their mothers—and for what? A selfie? If there’s any risk that your photo is going to harm or stress an animal, it’s not worth it.

Sadly, there are many people for whom the pursuit of the perfect selfie comes above all else.

Who knows how this Dan versus PETA battle will end, and I can’t say I really care. Just treat animals with respect, yo.

[sources:tmz&peta]