Hobbit producers deny animal cruelty

WELLINGTON (AFP) - The producers of “The Hobbit” movies on Tuesday rejected allegations that animals died due to mistreatment during the making of Peter Jackson’s highly anticipated Tolkien trilogy in New Zealand.

Animal rights group PETA said up to 27 animals, including horses, sheep, goats and chickens, died during filming, prompting it to plan protests against the movies, the first of which has its world premiere in Wellington next week. Jackson and the producers said in a statement that the American Humane Association monitored all use of animals during the shoot and “no animals died or were harmed on set during filming”.