Canadian zoo accreditation body bans elephant rides. Advocate says change is overdue

An organization that sets standards for Canadian zoos has banned elephant rides at member facilities, a decision an animal welfare group says is overdue and ends a "dangerous" practice that put visitors and staff at risk.

Jim Facette, CEO of Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA), confirmed it has made the "significant change."

"Today and going forward, elephant rides are not permitted at CAZA-accredited facilities," he said on Monday.

The move follows a CBC investigation that revealed what happened when an elephant named Maggie, which had been used for rides at African Lion Safari for years, attacked a trainer in 2019, leaving the man seriously injured.

It also found CAZA continued to allow the rides a decade after its American counterpart, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), halted the practice because of safety concerns for staff who work with elephants.

CAZA's decision is welcome news, said Melissa Matlow, Canadian campaign director for World Animal Protection, which had pushed for elephant rides to be prohibited.

"It's a very strong statement if the national zoo accreditation body opposes elephant rides."

But, Matlow added, the move was also a "long time coming" and it should not have taken "a person getting seriously harmed" for change to happen.

"We see [rides] as cruel," she said. "It's dangerous and it's not educational. It serves no benefit."

Activists and zoo accreditation bodies said they believe African Lion Safari was the only site in Canada offering elephant rides when the attack happened there in 2019. The zoo and theme park in Flamborough, Ont., permanently stopped the rides that same year.

CBC obtained a copy of an Ontario Ministry of Labour report about the incident through a freedom of information request.

It described how Maggie, an Asian elephant that was ridden by visitors to the park for 25 years, turned on one of her handlers on June 21, 2019.

According to the investigation, one rider was reportedly still dismounting from Maggie when she became aggressive.

The report found the elephant lunged when the handler's back was turned, blocking him into a corner and beating him with her trunk.