Renaissance Festivals Close Their Doors to Big Cats

July 2002

For years, the Colorado and Minnesota Renaissance festivals have included an animal exhibit called the Center for Endangered Cats in their yearly events as “entertainment.” We contacted the directors of each festival to make them aware of the cruelty associated with this “attraction,” including the fact that its executive director has been convicted of several counts of cruelty to animals. Just one of the many charges against him stemmed from a report that he had beaten a starving tiger who had killed and eaten a black leopard.

Based on the information that we sent and the phone calls and e-mail messages that we generated through action alerts and an autodial, both festivals have agreed to end their association with this hideously cruel exhibitor.