What this bill does
This Ontario bill creates a mandatory licensing scheme for operating zoos and keeping wild animals in captivity, establishing standards of care, annual inspections, enforcement powers, and penalties for non-compliance.
Plain-language summary by Legisail.
This bill directly affects anyone in Ontario who operates a zoo, wildlife park, animal sanctuary, mobile zoo, or any establishment that keeps wild animals for exhibition, education, or entertainment. Typical impacted businesses include roadside zoos, petting zoos with wild species, wildlife educators who bring animals to events, and exotic animal exhibitors. Day-to-day operations affected include animal housing and enclosure design, veterinary care, staff training and credentials, animal inventory tracking, emergency planning, and how animals are used in public interactions — with entertainment uses like photo sessions, animal rides, and public encounters being effectively prohibited. Business size matters less than the nature of the operation: even a sole operator keeping a single wild animal for exhibition purposes would need to obtain a licence, carry prescribed liability insurance, meet standards of care, submit to annual inspections, and file annual animal inventories by April 30 each year.
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