Ikea urged to stop selling reindeer meat

LONDON, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- A British animal rights group is calling on the Swedish retailer Ikea to stop selling reindeer meat at its stores in the United Kingdom.

Viva!, a group form Bristol, England, says modern methods of hunting reindeer cause the animals mental and physical stress, The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday.

After being chased by land and air, the reindeer are marched to a slaughterhouse where they face anything but a humane end, says Justin Kerswell, Viva! campaign manager.

"We are calling on the company to withdraw sales of the meat due to the cruel exploitation these wild animals suffer at the hands of the hunters," he told The Daily Telegraph.

Kerswell said more than 70 percent of reindeer slaughtered for meat are calves born the previous spring.

His organization has persuaded British supermarkets not to stock the meat of kangaroos and other exotic animals, the newspaper said.

Reindeer meat is popular in Scandinavian countries where it is used for meatballs and sausage.