Farmed animals’ lives revealed in New Zealand first virtual reality experience

Brand new 360-degree footage reveals, from the animals’ eye view, the inside story of animal suffering in factory farms. ‘FARM360: a nationwide virtual reality experience’ is a new initiative from SAFE.

The public launch of FARM360 will be held on Saturday 20th January, (with a media preview on Friday 19th) in Auckland’s CBD. People will have the opportunity to see the conditions inflicted on animals in factory farms, from the animals’ own unique perspective via virtual reality headsets. This is the first time that high impact 360-degree technology has been used with the public by an animal organisation in New Zealand.

The new virtual reality footage, filmed by volunteer investigators from Farmwatch and voiced by actor Emmett Skilton, shows from various perspectives: 

• Chickens bred for meat and packed into sheds for four to six weeks before they are slaughtered
• Layer hens confined in colony cages
• Mother pigs trapped in narrow farrowing crates

 FARM360 will be used at events all over New Zealand from February. It forms part of SAFE’s Beyond Factory Farming campaign which works to end the exploitation of living, sentient animals in intensive, cruel conditions. People can now, virtually, go into the sheds and into the cages themselves.

“The sheer scale of intensive factory farming in New Zealand would shock most Kiwis. Over one hundred million animals are imprisoned in inhumane conditions every single day,” says Mandy Carter, SAFE campaigns director.  “Most people can never visit a factory farm, so we decided to bring it directly to them. We’re using new technology to expose and challenge old-school farming practices where animals are treated as if they are objects rather than living, feeling individuals.”

“Factory farming inflicts suffering hidden away in huge anonymous sheds crammed full of animals. You can’t just request to see inside,” says John Darroch, spokesperson for Farmwatch. “We are shining the spotlight on the horror of these animals’ lives and it’s a shocking picture.”

The 360-degree footage is also available for people to view online, and use with their own VR headsets or smartphones at home.

Visitors to the FARM360 launch will be encouraged to sign SAFE’s petition to ban farrowing crates for pigs.

FARM 360 Virtual Reality Launch

Location: Te Wero Island Shipping Containers, Viaduct Basin by Wynyard Crossing, Auckland

Preview and media day: Friday 19th January from 2pm – 4pm

Public launch: Saturday 20th January, 11am – 4pm