Overview

• The Colorado Renaissance Festival, scheduled June 14 to August 3 in Larkspur, will proceed without its long-standing Trunks and Humps elephant show.
• Colorado Parks and Wildlife refused to issue a permit after legal advocates argued the Texas-based act violated the state’s prohibition on traveling elephant performances.
• PETA and the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project threatened to sue, contending that Trunks and Humps’s shows were entertainment rather than educational programs under Colorado law.
• Trunks and Humps has faced allegations of using bull hooks and coercive training methods, which owner Bill Swain disputes by citing regular USDA inspections.
• Festival organizers plan to meet with state officials to clarify permit requirements and explore alternative programming for future seasons.