Ontario is the worst province in Canada for zoo licensing, according to a study conducted by World Animal Protection (WAP). .“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,” said WAP Wildlife Campaign Manager Michele Hamers in a press release. .“This is why Ontario ranks dead last and why we are working with the government to get this done for once and for all.” .Hamers said WAP is pushing Ontario to implement what other provinces such as Alberta and Quebec have done..She added it wants “to see a mandatory province-wide zoo licensing system and meaningful and enforceable standards to safeguard animal welfare and public health and safety.” .WAP’s latest estimates suggest there are about 30 roadside zoos in Ontario, covering well-known locations to small backyard operations, but excluding known private collections of wild animals..It has the largest number of roadside zoos in Canada and no tracking of how many of these facilities exist or the types of animals they house. .Some examples it said show Ontario’s zoo licensing system is broken are concerning animal deaths at Marineland, including Kiska the orca, to Reptilia opening in London despite a bylaw banning a display of many of their species. .WAP went on to say its ongoing work has been driving the province to launch investigations at these facilities, but a patchwork system where non-compliance is normal needs to stop..It called on all political parties to come together to pass meaningful legislative changes and end the culture of non-compliance by making this year the last for roadside zoos in this province. .The Ontario government passed the Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) Act in 2019, but there has been no action on addressing the remaining significant welfare and safety regulatory gaps around captive wildlife in the province. .The Toronto Zoo, the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks, and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO), and Municipal Law Enforcement Officers' Association have joined efforts led by WAP to bring change to Ontario's model. .“While the PAWS Act has taken important steps, there continue to be far too many exotic animals in sub-optimal conditions in private ownership and in unaccredited roadside zoos across our province,” said Toronto Zoo CEO Dolf DeJong. .Ontario bans the ownership of select native species, but the regulation of thousands more wild non-native species including tigers, lions, and venomous snakes has been downloaded onto municipalities, leading to a patchwork of rules and regulations. .WAP estimated 50% of municipalities do not have any bans on wild animal ownership. .“Municipalities in Ontario have continued to face challenges in managing unregulated exotic animals and the presence of roadside zoos which have posed safety risks to the public and to enforcement officers,” said AMCTO President Elana Arthurs. .“We encourage the province to develop a mandatory licensing regime and take action to minimize the operational, financial, and legal risks to the municipal sector.”.A former Manitoba senator teamed up with the world’s most prominent expert on primates in 2020 to introduce a bill to protect captive animals and ban imports of elephant ivory and hunting trophies into Canada..READ MORE: Manitoba senator teams up with Jane Goodall in bill to help Canada’s zoo animals.“I’m introducing a bill in the Senate of Canada that will establish some of the strongest animal protection laws in the world,” said former Independent Senators Group Sen. Murray Sinclair (Manitoba). .Sinclair named his bill the Jane Goodall Act after the primatologist who worked for 60 years studying social and family interactions among wild chimpanzees.
