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PETA Criticizes Nintendo's 'Super Mario 3D Land'

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And our last word in business today is save the tanooki.

(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)

MONTAGNE: The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is attacking Nintendo's new video game "Super Mario 3-D Land." In the game, Super Mario sometimes wears the skin of a tanooki, which is a raccoon dog. Steve, you may have to finish...

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Oh no, come, no, no. It's fine. Come on, it's a raccoon dog. It's a nice animal.

MONTAGNE: Very sweet...

INSKEEP: In real life they're killed for their fur and the group says...

MONTAGNE: Yeah. I know.

INSKEEP: ...the message that it's OK to wear fur. That's their point here.

MONTAGNE: I know, and the push may be a little late though, because the tanooki Mario first appeared more than 20 years ago in "Super Mario 3." And that's the business news on MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.

INSKEEP: And I'm Steve Inskeep. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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