Elephant Captivity and Animal Performances Could Be Banned In Proposed Canada Bill
If passed, the ‘Jane Goodall Act’ will help protect over 800 captive species, outlaw ‘Tiger King’-style venues, and phase out the keeping of elephants in captivity.
A landmark animal-protection bill, which seeks to protect 800 species and includes plans to phase out elephant captivity and a ban on ‘Tiger King’-style venues, has been reintroduced in Canada.
The ‘Jane Goodall Act‘ addresses the issue of animal captivity by limiting private citizens and most zoos from the import or breeding of hundreds of different species, helping to provide protections for a broad group of animals including big cats, bears, sea lions, certain monkeys, and crocodiles.
Under the plans, roadside zoos and ‘Tiger King’-style venues that exhibit protected animals would be banned. Canada is estimated to have around 4,000 privately-owned big cats, with animal welfare groups reporting poor conditions and safety concerns.
The bill, reintroduced by Sen. Marty Klyne last week, would also offer landmark protections for captive elephants, by phasing out elephant importation and breeding.
These plans show a marked shift in attitudes towards keeping wild animals in captivity, with politicians, leading scientists and animal welfare experts calling for more natural habitats for animals rather than traditional zoos and aquariums.
Several prominent zoos in Canada have already backed the new bill, including Toronto Zoo, Calgary Zoo, and Montreal Biodome. Granby Zoo, which currently houses three African elephants, has said that it will transition away from keeping elephants within the next few years.
“The Jane Goodall Act is a significant evolution in animal welfare in Canada,” said Barbara Cartwright, CEO of Humane Canada, the federation of SPCAs and humane societies. “Protecting animals in captivity and in the wild signals an unprecedented shift in Parliament toward integrated thinking about animals, people and the environment.”
The new legislation follows Bill S-203 which Canada passed back in 2019, and prohibits the trade, possession, capture and breeding of whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Known as the “Free Willy” bill, it effectively ended the practise of using cetaceans for entertainment or keeping them in captivity.
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