Lion Meat Tacos Spark Fights, Bomb Threats

Looks like another restaurant has been threatened into dropping lion meat; Taco Fusion, a restaurant in Tampa, Fla., has decided to stop selling lion meat tacos after community backlash.

According to the Tampa Tribune, Taco Fusion put lion meat tacos on their menu earlier this week for $35 a pop, alongside other exotic meats like gator, elk, bear, zebra, and kangaroo.

Since then, however, the restaurant has been dealing with all sorts of threats, owner Ryan Gougeon told the Tampa Tribune. "Now we're getting bomb threats, and everything else. Some guy just called and said he'd kidnap me and grind me up for a taco. There are so many coming in we aren't counting," Gougeon said.

Gougeon said the lion meat is authentic and comes from a farm that specifically raises lion for meat, which is legal stateside since lions are only considered threatened and not endangered. Still, animal rights activists have been up in arms about the lion meat, with people even coming into the store to wreck havoc.

"My general manager was just attacked. A guy came in, took a swing at him and missed," Gougeon said. "They had a brief wrestling match, but the guy ran for it. That was two hours ago. Some other guy just called saying he's on the way in now to fight us."

Yesterday, Taco Fusion wrote on its website that the lion meat promotion would end, since the meat is sold out. "We listened to everyone and decided to no longer carry lion. The lion meat is sold out and we do not plan to carry it again," the website says today.

Although that message can no longer be found, the restaurant is still defending its decision, writing a lenghty post comparing this episode to the Salem Witch Trials. "You can't call for diversity, freedom, and choice — and then in the same token turn around and demand censorship, new laws, arrests, and businesses be shut down because you don't agree with what someone else is LEGALLY doing," the message says. "This isn't Cuba; This isn't North Korea; This isn't Stalinist Russia; Just remember: This is America, baby."