‘I, Orca’? ‘I, Chicken’? ‘I, Calf’? I Bet PETA Can Plug You In

On grassroots tours that leverage three of PETA’s virtual reality (VR) programs—“I, Orca,” “I, Chicken,” and “I, Calf”—animal advocates help the public see the world through another species’ eyes. The best part? For “I, Orca” and “I, Chicken,” anyone with access to an Android phone and Google Cardboard can bring these powerful experiences to their community. For “I, Calf,” a VR headset like a Meta Quest 2 or 3 is required.

The ‘I, Orca,’ ‘I, Chicken,’ and ‘I, Calf’ Experiences

Every animal is someone, and these VR systems allow us to observe the world from other animals’ perspectives.

‘I, Orca’

With “I, Orca,” participants can see, hear, and—most importantly—experience feelings like those of orcas subjected to SeaWorld’s cruelty. This empathy project immerses participants in a world where they can swim freely in the ocean with their orca family. They also meet an orca mother—voiced by either Nurse Jackie star Edie Falco or Selena star Constance Marie—who still mourns the baby who was taken from her decades ago and sent to SeaWorld, the marine abusement park that condemned him to a miserable life in tiny tanks.

Although “I, Orca” is a fictional undersea experience, the story it tells is inspired by real events. All orcas now living in captivity were either torn away from their natural ocean homes and families or born into an inescapable marine-animal prison.

PETA believes that everyone who experiences “I, Orca” will learn that SeaWorld inflicts a lifetime of suffering on animals and will, as a result, choose only animal-friendly entertainment.

‘I, Chicken’

This experience places participants in a world where they can flap their wings, communicate with other chickens, take dust baths, and engage in other natural chicken behavior. But as they soon learn, life for each of the 26 million chickens slaughtered every day is hell.

Chickens are inquisitive animals with distinct personalities, keen communication skills, and complex social structures. But on farms, they’re crammed by the tens of thousands into filthy sheds and are bred to grow such unnaturally large upper bodies that their legs often become crippled under their own weight. At the slaughterhouse, their throats are cut and millions of conscious birds are scalded to death in defeathering tanks.

The goal of “I, Chicken” is to help participants see these fellow animals as individuals with interests, wants, and needs, rather than as breasts, wings, and legs.

‘I, Calf’

In this experience, participants discover what it’s like to be a cow born on a dairy farm. Based on a true story, viewers take on the role of a young calf whose mother secretly gave birth to twins and, remembering that farmers had taken her previous babies away, hid one of the newborns to protect him.

Does this make the dairy industry sound vicious and heartless? That’s because it is.

Cows are intelligent and have good memories. They’re socially complex, develop friendships over time, and sometimes hold grudges against other cows who treat them badly. They mourn the deaths of and even separation from those they love, sometimes shedding tears over their loss.

The bond between mother and calf is particularly strong, and there are countless reports of mother cows who continue to call and search frantically for their babies after workers have taken them away and sold them to other farms, including to be used for veal.

Grassroots Tours: Use ‘I, Orca,’ ‘I, Chicken,’ and ‘I, Calf’ in Your Advocacy

Are you committed to informing your community about what animals used for food and entertainment are forced to endure? With your help, we can share these experiences around the world at farmers markets, street fairs, local VegFests—the possibilities are endless! Make sure your Android phone fits with our programs by testing it out first:

• The “I, Orca” and “I, Chicken” systems are Android app files that should work on any standard-size Android OS phone.
• Use Google Cardboard headsets for “I, Orca” and “I, Chicken.”
• The “I, Calf” video is an mp4 file that can be played on any current-generation VR headset, such as a Meta Quest 2 or 3.
• Make sure you have headphones that work with each program.

Everyone who participates in these interactive experiences gains a better likelihood of feeling empathy for orcas, chickens, and cows.

E-mail [email protected] if you have any questions, and we’ll do what we can to make this a seamless, meaningful addition to your advocacy for our fellow animals.

Download and Take Action With VR

Click below to download each VR experience of these grassroots tours:

Download ‘I, Orca’—English Version

Download ‘I, Orca’—Spanish Version

Download ‘I, Chicken’

Download ‘I, Calf’