Animal welfare group PETA has advised Jamie Vardy against acquiring a penguin or giraffe after the Leicester City striker expressed his interest in an exotic pet.
Vardy is a confirmed animal lover, already caring for several dogs and chickens at his home.
But his efforts to branch out to more unusual species may have to be put on ice if he follows PETA's recommendations.
What was said?
“I know it sounds really strange but I looked up trying to buy a penguin to have in the garden," Vardy said at the launch of the children's book, Cedric the Little Sloth with a Big Dream, he co-wrote with wife Becky.
“It’s the cuteness. I’ve not purchased one. However, while searching, I found out how to buy a giraffe and all sorts of exotic animals, legally.”
PETA's response
While it is hard to tell whether Vardy's words were meant to be taken seriously or with a pinch of salt, a PETA spokesperson was careful to point out that exotic animals should under no circumstance be kept as pets.
“[Jamie Vardy] surely knows they are not playthings or garden ornaments," Eilsa Allen stated on behalf of the organisation.
“The sale of exotic animals is one of the world’s largest sources of criminal earnings. It’s the animals paying the price.”