The renowned Kansas City Renaissance Festival has provided entertainment to thousands since 1977. The fair celebrates medieval times by recreating 16th century fashion, food, and activities all on the grounds of Bonner Springs, KS. The KC RenFest features a 16-acre “village” with crafts, comedy, music, magic, food, and 20 stages of entertainment.  While jousting and beer guzzling are notable pastimes, it is unnecessary for the festival to perpetuate animal cruelty by offering elephant rides to the public. We are urging the organizers of the festival to not endorse this barbaric mistreatment of our planet’s largest land animal.

At first glance, it may be difficult to understand how elephants endure cruelty when they seem to happily walk in circles while small children and adults of all ages ride atop their backs. The truth is anything but. While sitting on an elephant’s back does no lasting harm, the grueling process of preparing the animal for hobby riding is inhumane in every way imaginable. Trained elephants are captive elephants. To break them in, handlers deprive them of social contact with their fellow creatures and force them to live in confined areas. Because of their large size, they must be chained for hours each day, and many are beaten with whips, bullhooks, or sticks if they fail to do exactly what their handlers wish them to.

These terrible living conditions result in foot conditions and arthritis, shortening the animal’s life significantly. But in the eyes of an elephant trainer, this is the only way to guarantee the safety of festival goers.

Even severe methods of training, however, cannot ensure that elephant riders will be safe on the back of a large, wild animal. In 1992, an 8,000-pound female Asian elephant bolted into the crowd out of fear and endangered the lives of many. While this reaction was completely normal for a wild animal, and no one was killed in the process, she was shot to death as a result. Because elephants are gentle by nature, many people forget that these creatures are meant to roam free – not in circles with chains around their ankles.

Elephant rides are blatant signs of brutality, and they are not a necessary component of medieval festivals that celebrate traditions we are proud of today. Our progressive society can happily celebrate the 16th century with a fare-thee-well to animal cruelty.

In response to the past few Kanas City Renasaince Festivals, patrons have remarked in numerous online blogs and reviews that there is also a petting zoo that caused alarm. Horses, ponies, llamas, and camels were tethered in a circle in the hot end-of-summer sun to walk for hours with children on their backs. Many patrons who used to love the Renaissance Festival have vowed to never return after seeing the mistreatment of these animals.

 We are asking that the organizers of the Kansas City tradition please discontinue the petting zoo and elephant rides.  They are contradictory to the fair itself, having nothing to do with 16th century Europe, they are cruel, and they are heartbreaking to witness. Many people will return to the festival if they know these cruel practices are eliminated.