PETA asks Cage The Elephant to change name, temporarily

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has made an unusual request to a popular alternative band.

The organization has asked Cage The Elephant to change its name, but only temporarily.

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Cage The Elephant is scheduled to perform at halftime during the NFL game in Munich, Germany.

So while the band is on a world-wide stage, PETA asked them to use the name “Free the Elephant” on all of its social media accounts leading up to Sunday’s game.

The reason?

There’s a 56-year-old elephant named Okha who has been part of a circus for most of her life and PETA wants to gain support for her to retire to a reputable sanctuary.

“There ain’t no rest for Okha. We think you’d agree that she deserves the chance to spend her remaining years in peace with care, dignity, and respect. Lending a rendition of your iconic name for a short while could… help us come a little closer to ending animal cruelty in circuses,” PETA wrote the band.

Cage The Elephant has not responded to PETA’s request, NME reported. A check of the band’s social media accounts, including YouTube, X and Instagram, Thursday morning still listed them as Cage The Elephant.

The New England Patriots and Detroit Lions will play in Munich on Sunday at the FC Bayern Munich Arena at 9:30 a.m. ET.

The NFL said the band has won two Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album and has more than 10 billion streams and 13 No. 1 records on alternative radio.

“We have played a lot of shows in Germany over the years and the crowds here have always given us everything they have,” Cage The Elephant’s Matt Shultz said in a news release. “Playing a halftime show is a completely different animal -- you get one shot in front of a stadium and a global audience, and you have to make every second count. We are going to bring the same energy we bring to our own shows and we cannot wait.”

Cage The Elephant’s newest album, “Dying in Reverse,” is set for release in February. Preorders are available now.