During the festive Christmas event will dress some members of staff in their furry products and will re-decorate rooms at Tivoli’s Nimb hotel with cushions, throws and blankets made of fur. Fur products will also be on sale in Tivoli.
By Mikkel Sonne
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The sponsorship has caused a stir in local media. According to Thorbjørn Sciønning from Anima, a local animal rights organisation, some Danish fur producers were revealed neglecting basic animal welfare laws in a 2009 TV documentary. Member of the board and chairman of Kopenhagen Fur for 17 years Erik Hansen was found guilty of animal abuse in 2011.
Anima states that while Denmark is the world’s largest producer of fur with some 14-15 million minks being produced every year, a 2009 survey revealed that the majority of Danes think the production should be banned, as it already is in England, Austria and other countries.
The announcement of the sponsorship deal has evoked strong feelings among users on Tivoli’s Facebook site. Many people threat to boycott the park. One user writes "I am shocked to learn about Tivoli’s deal with Kopenhagen Fur. I personally feel it is a shame to put money above animal rights. I will never visit Tivoli again." Other users post pictures of bleeding animals from Kopenhagen Fur’s farms, asking if this is what they should expect to experience this Christmas in Tivoli.
Mink image: via qmnonic via Flickr Creative Commons