Stepping beyond his punching zone on silver screen, model-turned-actor John Abraham has taken up the cause of animals and birds protection. The Bollywood hunk and staunch animal lover is all set to appear in an advertisement campaign of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) launched by its web portal, "petaDishoom.com". Wearing four-meter-long wing, the Bollywood heart-throb will carry the message "Be an Angel for Birds: Don't cage them". "Animals cannot speak for themselves, so it is up to us to give them a voice and speak for them. Animals deserve to live a life free of torture. The least we can do is to allow them that freedom," says the actor in an interview with petadishoom.com. "Birds are born to fly great distances. Keeping them in cage is a cruel thing to do and possibly the worst form of punishment anyone can think of for a bird," says John who is playing the character of a 'winged angel' in a yet to be launched music album "Koi Annay Wala Hai" by Pakistani pop group 'Strings'. The campaign is a joint venture of PETA and 'Strings', which has allowed the website to use winged picture of John. John has earlier joined hands with PETA to ban elephants from urban areas and appealed to the government of Goa to take action against pig slaughter.John had also appeared in an advertisement in 2005, in which he was shown letting several birds fly out of a cage. "John Abraham's compassion for birds and other animals -- that they should never be abused or robbed off their precious freedom -- will reach more people than ever before," says PETA's spokesperson Simran Kodesia. Speaking for the rights of animals, 'Strings' lead singer Faisal Kapadia says, "killing birds or any animal effects the eco-system of the earth and they have as much a right to live as we do." Composer and guitarist, Bilal Maqsood, of the pop group also came forward for the protection of animals. "The trade of banned animal products is as much due to myth as it is due to ignorance. Education would be the best way to stop such illegal trading," says Bilal. (PTI) ... read more »