A beluga swimming in the wild

One choice that helps keep wildlife wild

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By choosing activities that don't exploit animals, you are helping to protect wildlife

When wild animals become tourist attractions, their freedom is stolen, and their natural behaviours are supressed, leading to a life of captivity and misery.  

Our world is a wonderous place that is full of life, but without wild animals creating those ecosystems and thriving in their natural environments, would that still be true? 

Today, wild animals face so many threats including habitat destruction, urban sprawl, the global wildlife trade for frivolous things like pets and trinkets, and for use as tourist attractions. 

At World Animal Protection, we believe that wildlife was meant to be wild and that it’s our shared responsibility to act.  

Together, we can protect wild animals and keep them wild. One by one.  

Choose one vacation that doesn’t exploit animals

Seeing wild animals when you're travelling can be an exciting experience, but many captive wildlife venues exploit animals for tourist entertainment.

Knowing which venues are genuine sanctuaries and which you should avoid is not always straightforward. That’s why we developed our animal-friendly travel guide that includes quick tips and checklists that help you identify a genuine wildlife sanctuary that puts the animals' welfare first.

Download now (PDF)

An elephant

Pledge to never visit a roadside zoo 

Roadside zoos across Canada confine wild animals like lions, bears and monkeys in cramped, unnatural conditions — often with little to no oversight. These facilities exist to entertain, not to protect, and the animals held in them suffer as a result.

By refusing to visit roadside zoos, you’re taking a stand against animal suffering and helping reduce demand for these inhumane attractions.

Take the pledge to say no to roadside zoos and help keep wildlife wild. 

Take the pledge

A coyote at a roadside zoo

Explore the hidden crisis facing wild animals in Canada

Our interactive map reveals the dangers of Canada’s wildlife trade and captivity problem and the inconsistent patchwork of laws that allow it to continue.

You’ll find incidents involving wild animals across the country, track how governments are responding and learn more about the advocacy work underway to protect wildlife. 

Explore the map

A captive lion

By the numbers

A icon with the number 84% and an elephant
84% of Canadians believe wild animals belong in the wild where they can live naturally.
A icon with the number 160 and a dolphin
Wild dolphins can travel up to 160 km every day, but even in the largest facilities, they have just 0.0001% of their natural habitat range.
A icon with the number 1.8M and a monkey
More than 1.8 million wild animals were imported into Canada over a 7-year period (2014-2020), many without proper identification or permits.

Sign up to make change with us

Join us as we work to transform the lives of animals. By joining our community you’ll receive updates and resources that will help you make informed decisions when animals are involved. Sign up today!

Explore how your choices can impact animals, people and the planet:

One small action that helps fight climate change

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Our world is changing. The climate crisis means more wildfires, floods, and droughts that could destroy habitats, kill millions of animals, and displace millions of people. But with small actions today, we can make a difference together.

One community making an impact

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We do everything we can to give animals a better life. With the best available science and our collaborative approach, that’s the promise we’ve kept for decades, but we can’t do it alone. Will you join us?

One food choice that helps reduce suffering

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Small changes to your diet can make a big impact. By simply making one day a week plant-based, you can make a difference for animals, your budget, your health, and the planet.

Help us transform the world so that all life can thrive.

Donate now