http://www.peta.org/news/NewsItem.asp?id=2398
GUERLAIN URGED TO HELP HALT SARS BY SCRAPPING RISKY ANIMAL-DERIVED MUSK

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For Immediate Release:
May 30, 2003

Contact:
Kristie Phelps 757-622-7382

In the wake of news reports that the SARS epidemic may have originated with
Chinese civet cats, PETA has written letters to several perfume
manufacturers, including Paris-based Guerlain, urging them to stop using
musk extracted from these animals' perineal glands in their products.

Perfume have prized civet musk for centuries because of its distinctive odor
and preservative effects. An investigation by the World Society for the
Protection of Animals (WSPA) uncovered shocking cruelty on farms that raise
civets for their musk. Civet cats are kept in cages measuring just 3 feet by
1 foot by 1 foot, too small for them even to turn around. Musk is scraped
from the civets' glands every nine to 15 days through a process that is so
traumatic and painful that it causes many animals to stop eating and starve
to death. WSPA was told by one farmer that almost 40 percent of civets
captured from the wild die within three weeks. There is no legislation
concerning the capture or care of civets. While synthetic musk is available,
many perfume continue to use cruelly produced civet musk.

"The whole thing stinks," says PETA Asia Coordinator Jason Baker. "If
perfume didn't care about cruelty to animals before, maybe now they'll care
about potentially infecting people with deadly diseases and stop supporting
this horrendous industry."

Other perfume to whom PETA has written include Lanc?me and Procter & Gamble.
PETA's letter to Guerlain follows.

May 30, 2003

Camille McDonald, CEO
Guerlain
68 Ave Champs Elys?es
75008 Paris
FRANCE

1 page via fax: 01 40 74 09 91

Dear Ms. McDonald:

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is the world's largest animal
rights organization, with 750,000 members and supporters and offices in the
U.S., U.K., Germany, India, and Hong Kong. I am writing to you today about a
matter of great urgency: to ask you to discontinue the use of civet cat musk
in your fragrance products immediately. As you may know, researchers have
traced the virus that caused the deadly SARS outbreak to civet cats sold in
live-animal markets in southern China. The capture and caging of civets and
the collection of musk could pose a serious and direct health threat to
workers in Africa, where most musk farms are located, and an indirect threat
to people everywhere, as the virus spreads so easily. The exported musk may
also be a health risk to those who work in the fragrance manufacturing
plants.

Ending your use of civet cat musk would also be humane. An investigation by
the World Society for the Protection of Animals revealed that on the 200
Ethiopian farms that supply musk, civets are captured from their natural
homes and kept in primitive wooden cages so small that the animals cannot
even turn around. The cages are stacked in huts in which fires are kept
smoldering during the day, driving the temperatures miserably high and
choking the air with smoke. At night, the temperatures plunge and the
civets, who are not even given bedding material, cannot keep warm.
Hypothermia is a common cause of death. Every nine to 15 days, the civets
are pinned down, their perineal glands are opened, and musk is scraped out-a
process so traumatic that many civets refuse to eat afterwards and starve
themselves to death. It's estimated that 40 percent of civets die within
three weeks of capture.

If these hideous conditions haven't previously deterred you from the use of
civets-please let us know if they have-perhaps the threat of SARS will. We
urge you to take immediate action to end the use of civet musk. May we have
your assurance that you will take the necessary steps to protect the public
from this serious health threat?

Sincerely,

Kristie Phelps
Campaign Coordinator