The coffin lay open in the middle of Times Square. Inside, naked and very much alive, Ingrid Newkirk, co-founder and president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), sported “just a spray of flowers on my naughty bits”. The stunt was part of Peta’s “I’d Rather Go Naked than Wear Fur” campaign, one of dozens of projects designed to attract attention to the international animal rights organisation. The controversial charity has nearly two million members, including high-profile celebrities such as Paul McCartney, Sarah Jessica Parker and Pamela Anderson, who espouse Newkirk’s mantra: “Animals are not ours to kill, eat or experiment with.”