By Gina Yarbrough
San Diego, CA–Lions Tigers and Bears is set to debut at San Diego Comic-Con International this week.
The Alpine-based sanctuary will have a presence with an official panel discussion on Friday, followed by a free, family-friendly event on Saturday at The Cat Café, located at 302 Island Avenue, just a block away from the San Diego Convention Center.
Friday’s “Animals on Screen” panel will begin at 7:45 p.m. in Grand Ballroom 6 at the Marriott Marquee San Diego Marina.
Bobbi Brink, founder and director of Lions Tigers and Bears, was instrumental in passing the Big Cat Public Safety Act, which prohibits the private ownership of big cats. She will lead a discussion on the public’s fascination with animals in the media, the abuses occurring off-screen, and the ethical use of captive animal actors in streaming and video game production. Ethical solutions, such as VFX technologies, will be showcased by panelists including Emmy Award-winning VFX Supervisor Mark Nazal (Gotham, Westworld, Lucifer) and Emmy Award-winning producers PJ Haarsma (Con Man) and Drew Lewis (Couch Soup) of Red Bear Films.
The collaboration between Lions Tigers and Bears and Tony Wang, owner of The Cat Café, promotes a simple message: “Exotic cats don’t make good pets – adopt a domestic cat!”
The Cat Café event will feature free attractions, a green screen, red carpet photos, a video 360 camera, cosplayers, face painters, and a raffle for a private overnight safari experience at the sanctuary, valued at $1,250. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is open to the public without Comic-Con badges.
The first 25 attendees who purchase a sanctuary membership at the Saturday event can bring a guest for free (a $55 value). All online bookings for Lions Tigers and Bears adventures, including day visits, memberships, animal feedings, and overnight stays, will be 25% off throughout Comic-Con.
For more information, visit the Lions Tigers and Bears website.
Lions Tigers and Bears, Southern California’s only fully accredited animal sanctuary, stands out from traditional zoos and parks by providing rescued animals with a humane and protected environment to live out their lives.
