London - Trimming barbary ducks' beaks has ruffled the feathers of British animal rights activists and prompted a leading supermarket chain to withdraw the Far East fowl from its shelves. Snipping the tip of barbary ducks' beaks is widely practised to avoid feather loss when the birds fight in captivity.
"Customer concern about the welfare of the ducks was mounting," a Tesco spokesman said. On Saturday, Tesco's Covent Garden branch in central London received a protest letter signed by celebrities Paul McCartney, Twiggy and Joanna Lumley. The letter from animal rights group Viva called on Tesco and other supermarkets to "act with principle" and banish the duck from their shelves.
