Updated October 2019 Vincent Von Duke is a sixth-generation circus trainer based in Lakeland, Florida who presents a traveling big cat show called Close Encounters of the Exotic Kind at Shrine circuses and fairs throughout the eastern United States. Von Duke formerly trained big cats for a circus which closed in the late 1980’s. When…
PETA Alerts USDA to Unlicensed Doug Terranova’s Recent Circus Performances September 10, 2019 Contact: David Perle 202-483-7382 Kaufman, Texas – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) permanently revoked the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) license of Doug Terranova, a Kaufman-based animal exhibitor, on August 30 and ordered him and his company to pay a total of $64,700 in…
The Taigan Park is in the Crimea in Russia and its director is Oleg Zubkov. A visitor says the park violates the conditions under which animals, including those listed in the Red Data Book, should be living. The witness spoke of cases of cruel treatment of animals and says a lot of animals are dying,…
Nikulin Moscow Circus, Russia This video was taken in 2016 at the Nikulin Circus in Moscow, Russia. This circus is known for allowing the public to pay for novelty photos with their lions and tigers outside each performance — this video was taken in the photo booth area. The New York Times wrote an article about this practice,…
Nickel City Reptiles & Exotics – Jeff Musial Nickel City Reptiles & Exotics is the business of Jeff Musial, a private exotics owner and self-proclaimed “animal expert” and “TV personality.” He operates a traveling animal exhibit and works with disreputable roadside zoos and breeders to rent out exotic animals for TV shows, movies, and parties. Musial has been…