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<H2 class=style1><STRONG><SPAN class=style7><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Ontario stands out as the worst jurisdiction in Canada when it
comes to ensuring the proper care of captive wildlife.
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The province makes it far too easy for
residents to collect wild animals in small cages and advertise
themselves as a zoo. With few regulations in place, it is not
surprising that there are more roadside zoos in Ontario than any
other jurisdiction in the country. More than 40 zoos are known to
exist and the majority of these are substandard. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>“In Ontario, you need a license to keep
native animals such as bears and wolves in a cage and there are few
conditions attached,” said Tkachyk. “There are no rules for
keeping exotic animals which represent 2/3 of all the zoo animals in
Ontario. One doesn’t even need a license to keep a hippo in their
backyard.”</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>There are no public health and safety
standards stipulating how dangerous animals should be contained in
order to safeguard visitors, staff and the community.
Shockingly, it is not hard to find tigers behind flimsy, low fences
that allow for an easy escape. </FONT></DIV>
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<P><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2>“This is a serious concern as a
number of people have been injured and a few even killed in Ontario
by captive wildlife,” said Tkachyk. Since June 2005, six
captive wildlife escapes were reported in the media in
Ontario.</FONT> </FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Roadside zoos typically house animals
in poor, barren conditions. Most lack trained professional animal
care staff and the financial resources necessary to ensure adequate
care and housing. <STRONG>Roadside zoos typically consist of a range
of small, ramshackle cages that offer little more than a water bowl,
food bowl and a shelter box to sleep in. Deprived of opportunities
to behave naturally, animals in these zoos often become bored and
frustrated and exhibit signs of psychological disturbance, including
stereotypic behaviours.</STRONG> Many of the practices, some of them
quite cruel, which seem to be the norm in roadside zoos, would not
be tolerated in professionally-accredited zoos. <!-- D(["mb","<span> </span></span></span></font></div> <div style\u003d\"margin:0in 0in 0pt\"><span style\u003d\"font-family:Arial\"><font size\u003d\"3\"> </font></span></div> <div style\u003d\"margin:0in 0in 0pt\"><font size\u003d\"3\"><span style\u003d\"font-family:Arial\">The WSPA is asking the\n </span><span style\u003d\"font-family:Arial\">Ontario</span><span style\u003d\"font-family:Arial\"> government to implement regulations which would force all zoos to operate at a professional standard or be closed. </span></font></div> <div style\u003d\"margin:0in 0in 0pt\"><span style\u003d\"font-family:Arial\"><font size\u003d\"3\"> </font></span></div> <div style\u003d\"margin:0in 0in 0pt\"><span style\u003d\"font-family:Arial\"><font size\u003d\"3\"></font></span> </div> <div style\u003d\"margin:0in 0in 0pt\"><span style\u003d\"font-family:Arial\"><font size\u003d\"3\"></font></span> </div>\n</div>",0] ); D(["ce"]); //--> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2>The World Society for the
Protection of Animals is asking the Ontario government to implement
regulations which would force all zoos to operate at a professional
standard or be closed.</FONT> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=703474019-10072006><FONT color=#000000>There's video footage
of three zoos at:</FONT>
</SPAN></FONT></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV>
<DIV><A href="http://www.ontariozoos.ca/news.html#threezoos"><FONT
face=Arial>http://www.ontariozoos.ca/news.html#threezoos</FONT></A><SPAN
class=703474019-10072006><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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