Ontario ranked last among Canadian provinces for roadside zoos
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Ontario has 'weak and non-existent regulations' when it comes to roadside zoos, a new report card by World Animal Protection Canada has found.
Ontario has “weak and non-existent regulations” when it comes to roadside zoos, a new report card by World Animal Protection Canada has found.
The report card, which was released on Tuesday morning, ranks Ontario last among Canada’s 10 provinces.
“In Ontario, you don’t need expertise, a reason or a licence to operate a zoo or buy dangerous animals like a tiger or lion,” Michèle Hamers, World Animal Protection’s Wildlife Campaign Manager, said in a statement.
World Animal Protection Canada, a non-profit organization whose headquarters are in Toronto, found Ontario does not have a provincial zoo licencing system and does not require permits for non-native wildlife. There are also no requirements for liability insurance for zoo operators.
“We are pushing the province to implement what other provinces like Alberta and Quebec have done already,” Hamers said.
“We want to see a mandatory province-wide zoo licensing system and meaningful and enforceable standards to safeguard animal welfare and public health and safety.”
World Animal Protection has long campaigned for the banning of private ownership of wild animals and the phase out of roadside zoos. They estimate there are about 30 roadside zoos in Ontario.
