Protesting the Rhino at Warren Wildlife Gallery

Protesters outside the Warren Wildlife Gallery on Saturday morning (Photo by Jana Birchum)

The Warren Wildlife Gallery in Bouldin Creek continues to draw controversy. Last Saturday, a ragtag team of organizers from the activist group Action for Animals Austin picketed the mansion from the sidewalk to protest the gallery's on-site display of an endangered black rhinoceros. The specific rhino is somewhat famous. In 2014, Texas hunter Corey Knowlton bid $350,000 to win a permit from Namibia to go and shoot the animal, which caused an international stir. Now, because of the resources available to the Warren Wildlife Gallery and its owner, Rick Warren ("Does Anybody Want the Warren Wildlife Gallery in Bouldin Creek?," Jan. 12), the famed animal – or its body anyway – now takes up residence on Elizabeth Street.

So on Saturday a group of about 10 protesters gathered to let Warren and his staff know they didn't take kindly to their new neighbor. AAA press officer Ernest Samudio says the group fundamentally disagrees with Warren's claim that the animal on display will provide an educational opportunity for the public. "The idea that this is for educational purposes is clearly something that trophy hunters have latched onto," Samudio said. "But there's no educational component here." He pointed to the irony of showcasing the bodies of dead animals in order to make a point about conservation.

No one from the gallery interfered or even contacted the protesters on Saturday, but people walking their dogs and riding bikes around the neighborhood seemed eager to stop and show their solidarity. A few cars driving past caught sight of their signs and honked. But for the most part, the neighborhood residents resisting Warren's plan to secure a conditional use permit for the property have steered clear of raising the issue of animal rights, since some fear the issue will cloud their concerns about Warren's parties and other general nuisance issues. You know, real problems!