Ontario reintroduces Captive Wildlife Protection Act to regulate roadside zoos
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Ontario has reintroduced a bill to licence zoos, enforce high standards of care and safety and ban wild animal performances.
A new chance to protect captive wild animals in Ontario
Ontario is home to more roadside zoos than any other province in Canada—and yet, residents still don’t need a provincial licence or any professional qualifications to start and run a zoo. But that could soon change.
On May 29, 2025, Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) Lucille Collard and Karen McCrimmon reintroduced a landmark bill in the Ontario Legislature: the Captive Wildlife Protection Act, 2025 (Bill 35). This bill aims to protect wild animals in captivity by regulating zoos, ending exploitative practices and closing long-standing legal loopholes.
This legislation was previously introduced as Bill 236, but it expired when the Ontario provincial election was called. Its reintroduction gives us another critical opportunity to protect wild animals across the province.
What the Captive Wildlife Protection Act would do
If passed, Bill 35 would transform how captive wild animals are treated in Ontario, including:
- Mandatory licensing for zoo operations
- Annual inspections of zoos and captive wildlife facilities
- A ban on wild animal encounters for entertainment, including photo ops, animal encounters and feeding, rides and performances
- Strong enforcement powers including fines, licence suspensions and the ability to seize animals if standards aren’t met
- Improved transparency and oversight, including annual reports with information about animals in their care and any public safety or animal welfare concerns
This legislation would apply to private zoos and other captive wildlife operations, helping ensure consistent, province-wide animal protection standards.
Why Ontario needs this law
Currently, anyone can own a zoo in Ontario or keep non-native wild animals (including lions and tigers) with little to no oversight, putting animals and people at risk.
- Ontario has approximately 30 unlicensed roadside zoos, many of which keep animals in substandard conditions.
- Nearly half of Ontario municipalities don’t have bylaws regulating exotic animal ownership leaving communities vulnerable to safety risks.
- A recent poll found that 88% of Ontarians support provincial licensing and oversight of zoos.
Wild animals like lions, tigers, monkeys and bears are often kept in tiny and barren enclosures, denied appropriate enrichment and used for public entertainment in ways that cause can stress, fear and immense suffering.
What happens next
The bill is currently at First Reading. To become law, it must:
- Pass Second Reading in the Legislature
- Go to committee for review and feedback
- Pass Third Reading
- Receive Royal Assent by the Lieutenant Governor
This process can take time—and that’s why your voice matters now more than ever.
How you can help protect captive wild animals
- Sign the pledge to never visit a roadside zoo!
- If you live in Ontario, contact your MPP and urge them to support Bill 35. (Find your MPP and their contact info here)
Together, we can build a future where wild animals are respected, not exploited for entertainment.
Sign the pledge to avoid roadside zoos!
As you’re looking for activities this summer whether in your own province, across Canada or abroad: pledge to skip the visit to roadside zoos.
Banner photo: Sasha Rink / World Animal Protection