Colorado Renaissance Festival will not have elephant shows: PETA
DENVER (KDVR) — There will be no elephant shows at the Colorado Renaissance Festival in Larkspur this year, according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
PETA said in a press release that Colorado Parks and Wildlife made the decision after calls and emails from members of PETA and Compassion Works International. Additionally, the University of Denver's College of Law threatened to take legal action if CPW were to permit elephants at the festival.
Previous: DU's College of Law threatens legal action if CPW permits elephants at Renaissance Festival
The animals were brought to the festival by Texas-based exotic animal exhibitor Trunks and Humps, which PETA said provided elephants for the festival for a long time.
PETA said that the three elephants used by the company were captured from Africa over 40 years ago and claims that they have been forced to perform in a circus style since they were infants.
Colorado law prohibits the use of elephants and other exotic animals in traveling circus-style shows. PETA claims that Trunks and Humps threatens animals into doing tricks and gets past the law by falsely claiming an exemption for 'educational' shows.
Similar claims were included in the letter from the DU College of Law to CPW.
'Renaissance festivals may celebrate the past, but beating and threatening elephants with bullhooks should be relegated to the history books,' PETA Foundation Senior Director of Captive Wildlife Debbie Metzler said in a release.
The owner of Trunks and Humps has not yet commented.
FOX31 has also reached out to CPW for comment, but has not heard back as of publication.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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