New York artist retires animal-costume performances

New York City artist Nate Hill has retired his performance-art pieces, several of which involved animal mascot costumes. Described as "part furry fandom, part street theater, and part creepy perv", Hill's spectacles included:

• "Punch Me Panda", in which he dressed in a panda costume and chest protector, and invited passersby to take a swing at him.
• "Death Bear", in which Hill put on a hard, black bear head and made housecalls to "take things from you that trigger painful memories and stow them away in his cave where they will remain forever, allowing you to move on with your life".
• "Free Bouncy Rides", in which he wore a blue dolphin costume with a sign reading "Free Bouncy Rides", and invited people to bounce up and down on his lap.