ZooCheck Canada
"Much like the US, Canada has a big problem with privately-owned tigers, lions, cougars, jaguars and other big cats. Until just two weeks ago, anyone could own a tiger or other large exotic wild animal in British Columbia. Currently in many other parts of the country, including Ontario, it's still legal to own a tiger or other big cat and no license or registration of any kind is required. That's why there have been so many incidents over the years in Ontario, including:
*a jaguar escaping from a cage at a private display near Gravenhurst, only to kill a pet dog and then be shot dead (2008);
*a second serval escaping from a private zoo in eastern Ontario (2007);
*a young lion biting a woman at a private display near Leamington, then a young boy being bitten the very next day by the same cat (2006);* a tiger escaping from private zoo near Ottawa and being spotted by a passerby on a rural road in the middle of the night (2005);
* a jaguar escaping from its cage in a private zoo near Hamilton (2000);
* a serval escaping from a private zoo in eastern Ontario (1999);
* two tigers breaking out of their cage at a private zoo in London, Ontario (1997);
* a tiger jumping out of backyard zoo cage and staying on the loose for more than two days near Barrie (1997);
* a tiger killing a 16 year old boy who entered its cage near Wiarton, Ontario (1994);
* a stray 4 month old tiger cub turning up on a porch in a rural area in Caledon (1994);
* and two lions escaping from a barn owned by local magician in the Niagara region (1994). "
Rob Laidlaw
CBiol, MIBiol, Director
Zoocheck Canada Inc.
788 1/2 O'Connor Drive
Toronto, ON M4B 2S6
(Ph) 416-285-1744
(Fax) 416-285-4670
(Email) rob@zoocheck.com
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