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Vegan's horrific stunt in aisle of Coles supermarket

WARNING – DISTRESSING CONTENT: Controversial vegan activist Tash Peterson has predictably sparked outrage with her latest stunt decrying the world of carnivores.

The spotlight-loving 27-year-old originally from Perth isn't afraid to ruffle some feathers, or end up in handcuffs, to get her message across.

And it's very rarely subtle.

In a social media post on Sunday, Ms Peterson shared photos of a dead baby lamb in the aisle of a Coles supermarket in Melbourne.

Appearing next to the meat section, the animal rights activist said "every single year 15 MILLION lambs freeze to death in Australia.

"If you're not vegan, YOU are responsible for her death."

A dead lamb seen in a Coles supermarket.
The serial protester posted the confronting image of a dead lamb in Coles on Sunday. Source: Instagram/vganbooty

Ms Peterson and a group of activists took the lamb into a Coles store in Kew on Saturday.

"Basically some activists found a baby lamb on a property a little bit outside of Melbourne which had frozen to death," she told Yahoo News Australia.

"We just wanted to show consumers the victims of their food choices.

"None of the Coles staff actually approached us but I could see them on their phones almost immediately and the police were called," she said.

While it's true that lambs often die within 48 hours of being born including from a harsh winter's night in states like Victoria, the figure is at the top end of what animal activists say die each year from starvation, neglect and exposure.

That estimation of 15 million is equivalent "to one-third of the 42 million breeding ewes in Australia all losing a lamb every year," The Australian reported in 2012.

High lamb mortality is an unfortunate reality but a CSIRO study in 2015 which autopsied nearly 3,200 newborn lambs found only five per cent died from exposure, with the leading causes of death being starvation–mismothering (25 per cent), stillbirth (21 per cent) and birth injury (18 per cent).

Ms Peterson said she gets her statistics "from a variety of resources" which are predominately activist groups.

Unsurprisingly, the reaction on social media to the dead lamb in the Coles aisle drew a wide range of heated comments.

While some supported the vegan sentiment, many attacked Ms Peterson over the aggressive nature of her message.

"This is exactly what people need to see before they shop," one Facebook user offered in support.

"Are farmers meant to bring them inside to keep them warm?" another quibbled.

"Have you ever thought to yourself how cruel it is that you are displaying this poor animal's dead body and walking around with it?" one woman chided.

Coles acknowledged police were involved and declined to comment.

Vegan activists overrun KFC store

Before the Coles stunt with the dead lamb on Saturday, the serial protester stormed a KFC restaurant with a group of friends and poured fake blood all over the store before yelling at customers over what she described as an animal "holocaust".

A group pouring fake blood on the floor at a KFC store on Saturday. Source: Instagram/vganbooty
The rowdy group disturbed a handful of middling Aussies trying to get some chicken at KFC on the weekend. Source: Instagram/vganbooty

"The largest and longest holocaust in history is happening right now in the meat, dairy and egg industries," Ms Peterson yelled at customers through a megaphone.

"70 billion land animals are brutally murdered each year ... If you're not vegan, you are contributing to this holocaust and you are an animal abuser. KFC is responsible for this holocaust," she said.

In the video of the stunt posted on Sunday, a man and woman can be seen waiting patiently for their Zinger burgers just metres away from all the commotion.

The same police officers were called to each stunt with Ms Peterson and her group being moved on both times. No charges were laid.

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