London - (AFP) - Animal rights organization PETA announced Friday that it has filed a lawsuit against the British Ministry of Defense for refusing to test an artificial fur version of the famous royal guard hats made of bear hair.

Known as bearskins, these berets are reserved for members of the elite regiments of the army who wear them during the Changing of the Guard in front of Buckingham Palace, and have become one of the most recognizable symbols of the United Kingdom.

PETA has long pushed to stop the use of hats made from the hair of real Canadian black bears, and has designed replacement hats made of acrylic, produced by French company Ecopel.

And Kate Werner, a member of this association, told AFP that the Ministry of Defense "refuses to try" these hats, although it "undertook to do so on several occasions in recent years."

"We have been informed that PITA has filed a claim in this regard. We cannot comment specifically on an ongoing case," a Department of Defense spokesperson said.

The government announced months ago that there were "no plans" to replace the bears' hair hats, adding that an analysis of the artificial fur testing conducted by "Pita" showed that it "does not meet the necessary criteria" that allow it to be replaced by the current hats.

PETA rejected this conclusion, and Kate Werner said in this regard, "These hats are a symbol of the United Kingdom, but we want them to reflect the values and ethics of our society."

Current Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, himself a former military man, is an advocate of bear hair hats and, as MP, backed an amendment to allow them to continue.

However, a petition to replace it with faux fur, signed by more than 100,000 people, led to a debate in Parliament on the subject.
The Society wrote a letter to King Charles III, known for his positions in defense of nature, but has not yet received a response. Kate Werner said the king's support "could help a lot".

PETA also asked Charles to use a faux fur coat for his coronation in May.