Report: PETA Interested In Buying SeaWorld

SAN DIEGO -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants to buy a SeaWorld park, possibly the one in San Diego, free the animals inside and replace them with virtual reality exhibits, it was reported Thursday.

Officials with the animal rights group say they have an anonymous donor willing to shell out big money to purchase at least one of SeaWorld's three parks, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Beer company Anheuser-Busch, which is in the process of being purchased by Belgium firm InBev, operates SeaWorld parks in San Diego, Orlando and San Antonio. Experts believe InBev will divest itself of Anheuser-Busch's parks, according to the Union-Tribune.

PETA sent InBev a letter Friday offering to buy one park, with plans to replace existing animal exhibits with virtual reality exhibits, the newspaper reported.

The animals would be placed in sanctuaries with hopes of returning them to their natural habitats some day, the newspaper reported.

Anheuser-Busch owns seven other theme parks in addition to its SeaWorld parks. Combined, the parks could be worth as much as $4 billion, according to the Union-Tribune.

Neither SeaWorld nor InBev have commented on PETA's offer.