there is "Loading creatures" when creature's animations are prepared. This means loading VRML files, creating intermediate animation frames by interpolating between two models, and then creating a display list for each animation frame.
You are crazy. The normal people interpolate the animation on the fly. ATI cards, probably, are unable to cope with using the display lists the way they were not designed to.

How many polygons your monsters have and *what* are you trying to accelerate by using display lists?