Wildlife trafficking generates US$199 billion annually but is largely absent from binding global enforcement frameworks.
Elephanatics and World Elephant Day are calling for Canada to lead the global effort to establish a dedicated Wildlife Crime Protocol under the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC).
You can help by taking the quick action to contact your MP through Elephanatics’s campaign page.
Wildlife trafficking has become a major organized crime
Every year, transnational wildlife crime generates an estimated US$199 billion. Despite this, trafficking animals is often treated as a minor regulatory offence. That means organized crime networks can exploit Canada’s borders with relatively low risk and enormous reward.
Advocates at Elephanatics and World Elephant Day are working to change that, and they need your help.
Addressing wildlife tracking as the serious crime it is
Elephanatics, in partnership with World Elephant Day, is calling on Canadians to urge their Member of Parliament to support a dedicated Wildlife Crime Protocol under the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), the principal global treaty for fighting international crime networks.
A dedicated protocol would require countries to treat wildlife trafficking with the same legal seriousness as other major organized crimes. It would give law enforcement better tools for cross-border investigations and intelligence sharing, and help dismantle a massive illegal industry that threatens ecosystems and economies worldwide.
Take quick action
Elephanatics has made it easy to contact your MP directly. Click the link below to send an email with just a few clicks.
On many large-scale farms, tens of thousands of animals may be housed in a single facility.
During a fast-moving barn fire, wildfire, extreme heat event, flood, or power failure, there may be no practical way to move every animal to safety.
Approximately 165,000 chickens died in a recent Abbotsford barn fire. Weeks later, at least 20,000 pigs died in a fire at an industrial farm in southern Ontario.
Current industry codes of practice generally call for farms to have emergency plans, but do not require proof that those plans can protect every animal.
TAKE ACTION: Sign now to call on the B.C. government to strengthen protections for farmed animals before the next disaster strikes.
Each chicken was a sentient animal capable of feeling fear, pain and stress. Confined inside the barns, they had no way to escape.
This was a devastating tragedy.
It was also a warning about a system that confines enormous numbers of animals in facilities where evacuation are virtually impossible.
The aftermath of a barn fire in Abbotsford is seen on Friday May 22, 2026. (CityNews Image)
Why large-scale evacuation may be impossible
Evacuating a farm is not as simple as opening a barn door.
Animals must be caught or gathered, safely handled and loaded into suitable crates or trailers. They must then be transported somewhere with enough space, food, water and shelter.
This can require trained workers, specialized equipment, available vehicles and drivers, safe and accessible roads, veterinarians, backup power and fuel, and suitable places to house the animals.
Animals who are sick, injured, or affected by heat or smoke may not be safe to transport.
Birds housed by the tens of thousands cannot simply be released outside.
Pigs and cattle may panic, become injured, or be unable to move through floodwater, smoke, or crowded handling areas.
Even when animals can be loaded, there may be nowhere for them to go.
Nearby farms may already be full, affected by the same emergency or unable to accept animals because of disease and biosecurity concerns.
During a regional disaster, many farms may need the same trailers, workers, roads, and receiving sites at the same time.
For a barn holding tens of thousands of chickens, hundreds of cattle, or thousands of pigs, there may be no workable way to move every animal within minutes, or even hours.
An industrial chicken barn housing tens of thousands of chickens
This has already happened
The Abbotsford fire was not an isolated example.
In July 2026, at least 20,000 pigs died in a fire at a large industrial farm near Simcoe, Ontario. The fire spread through a facility covering about 200,000 square feet.
The scale of these fires makes the problem painfully clear. When tens of thousands of animals are confined inside one facility, there may be no practical way to reach and rescue them.
B.C.’s 2021 disasters exposed the same problem on an even larger scale.
Some farmers moved animals to higher ground or other facilities. In many cases, however, water rose too quickly, roads became impassable, or there was nowhere available to take them.
That same year, more than 650,000 farmed birds died during B.C.’s extreme heat dome. Many were confined in barns that depended on mechanical ventilation and cooling.
Barn fires, floods, wildfires, extreme heat and power failures are different emergencies. They reveal the same systemic risk: enormous numbers of animals are being kept in conditions where their lives depend on buildings, roads, equipment and emergency systems that can fail.
Properties inundated by flood waters are seen in Abbotsford, B.C., Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021. Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press
Large-scale animal deaths also carry wider costs. Emergency responders may be placed in dangerous conditions. Farmers and workers experience serious emotional and financial harm. Communities face the costs of emergency response, rebuilding, and the disposal of thousands of animal bodies. Floodwater can carry manure, fuel and other contaminants into homes, waterways and surrounding land.
As the risks grow, relying on individual farms to solve this problem on their own is not enough.
B.C. has an opportunity to act
In 2024, B.C.’s Farmed Animal Welfare Advisory Committee released a report recommending major changes to the province’s farmed animal welfare framework.
The recommendations included:
creating a government inspection and enforcement function
introducing proactive, risk-based inspections
expanding enforcement options
improving public reporting
including farmed animals in emergency-management regulations
assessing aging infrastructure and climate risks
clarifying the responsibilities of government, industry and emergency partners
improving emergency access to water, cooling, vet care and essential support
These recommendations are an important starting point. However, the B.C. government has not publicly provided a clear plan or timeline for implementing them.
Take action for farmed animals
Farmed animals deserve stronger protections before disaster strikes.
The VHS is raising concerns about transparency and accountability at the Stampede and about a recent update to Alberta’s Animal Protection Act that was passed without public consultation. The change makes it harder to protect animals used in rodeo and chuckwagon races from distress.
In summary:
Following another controversial year for the Calgary Stampede rodeo and chuckwagon races, the VHS reached out to the Stampede Board of Directors and Executive Management team requesting an update on this year’s animal incidents, injuries and any deaths.
To date, the VHS has still not received a response or acknowledgement from the Calgary Stampede.
The 2026 Calgary Stampede rodeo and chuckwagon races saw several incidents, including a chuckwagon collision resulting in the serious injury of a horse.
The Stampede also denied a media pass to We Animals Media, an animal photojournalism organization, further limiting public transparency around their treatment of animals.
The 2026 Calgary Stampede ended on July 13th with a confirmed serious injury and three other concerning animal incidents.
Despite reaching out to Stampede officials to confirm the status of these animals, the Vancouver Humane Society has still not heard back.
On July 19th, the Vancouver Humane Society wrote directly to the Calgary Stampede to inquire about several concerning incidents:
One horse was confirmed to be seriously injured during an unaired heat of the chuckwagon races on July 11th.
Another heat from the same day was not aired and results show that a team did not finish the race; this often indicates an incident or animal injury.
During a calf roping event on July 12th, a calf appeared motionless after being caught. The cameras quickly cut away.
Rodeo handlers received criticism for rough handling of a horse in a bucking event on July 8th.
The VHS requested that Calgary Stampede organizers respond with the status of these animals and the number of animal injuries and fatalities at the 2026 rodeo and chuckwagon races by July 27th. That deadline has passed with no response or acknowledgment from the Stampede.
The Stampede’s lack of transparency conflicts with their own welfare messaging.
The Calgary Stampede regularly emphasizes its commitment to animal welfare. But being transparent about their animal welfare practices would mean providing honest, timely information when animals are hurt, especially when those incidents are captured on video and witnessed by thousands of people.
The public deserves to know what happened to these animals so they can make informed decisions about attending risky animal entertainment events.
Meanwhile, Alberta law change weakens protections for animals used in rodeo.
The silence from the Stampede comes at a troubling moment for animals used in rodeo and chuckwagon racing in Alberta.
Earlier this year, when Alberta’s Animal Protection Act was being updated with a new loophole for animal sporting events, the VHS and supporters wrote to Alberta decision-makers to raise concerns.
A proposed change allowed distress caused to animals in sporting activities, as long as those activities followed “reasonable and generally accepted practices.”
The amendment that passed explicitly names chuckwagon racing and rodeo, exempting them from distress protections that other animals receive. It also makes it an offence to make “frivolous or vexatious” complaints to law enforcement.
There was no public comment period on this significant change.
As journalist Jessica Scott-Reid recently wrote in the Toronto Star, this new law amendment leaves animals more vulnerable and will likely discourage the public from making complaints.
“The legislature didn’t write that exemption because these events are safe. It wrote that exemption because it knew they weren’t, and it chose to protect the rodeo industry instead of the safety of these horses”
said Alexandra Pester, a Calgary-based lawyer with Animal Justice.
Activists gather with signs protesting the 2026 Calgary Stampede
Your voice can help ensure animals’ voices and well-being aren’t left behind.
Below are three important actions you can take today for animals used in the Calgary Stampede’s rodeo and chuckwagon events.
1. Use the quick-action tool below to contact decision-makers
2. Keep the momentum going by signing the #SayNoToRodeo pledge
3. Contact the Calgary Stampede directly using their public contact form to share your concerns and request an update on the animal incidents at this year’s event
After signing, share the action with others and invite them to speak up.
The start of B.C.’s 2026 rodeo season has brought renewed animal welfare and safety concerns, with incidents documented at the Cloverdale and Clinton rodeos, where visibly stressed animals fell, resisted handlers, and were subjected to inhumane treatment, including the potential illegal use of electric prods.
These are not isolated incidents. The VHS has documented rodeos across the province over the years, filing multiple cruelty complaints and raising concerns directly with decision-makers about inhumane handling and treatment of animals.
Despite this, the B.C. government continues to fund rodeos with public moneywhile failing to close loopholes that leave animals used in rodeo without meaningful protection from suffering, injury, and death.
TAKE ACTION: Call on decision-makers to stop directing public funds to rodeo events and to strengthen protections for animals used in entertainment.
Join VHS in calling on B.C.’s Ministry of Tourism to exclude rodeos from publicly funded grant programs, and urging provincial decision-makers to strengthen protections for animals used in entertainment and end inhumane rodeo events.
Horse and rider injured at Cloverdale
B.C.’s largest rodeo, the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair, got the season off to a troubling start when a horse and rider became tangled during a saddle bronc event, and both fell and were injured. The rider was taken by ambulance to hospital; both are reported to be recovering.
While the incident drew media attention, it is far from isolated.
Animals used in rodeos continue to face serious welfare risks in B.C. Animals deserve stronger protections, and taxpayer dollars should not support events where animals are put at risk for entertainment. Take quick action for animals used in rodeos through the link in our bio.
Just one week later, footage from the Clinton Rodeo captured additional concerns: visibly stressed and agitated animals falling, fleeing, and resisting handlers, alongside inhumane and potentially illegal handling and treatment of animals.
Four incidents at Clinton were serious enough that the VHS submitted a formal cruelty complaint to the BC SPCA, including:
A horse was repeatedly whipped while a rider attempted to position the animal for a steer wrestling event, despite clear signs of agitation.
A bull was repeatedly struck with a paddle by a handler attempting to move the animal, despite signs of stress.
In two separate incidents, animals were repeatedly shocked with electric prods while confined in chutes and carrying riders.
These incidents are the latest in a long-running pattern. The VHS has documented numerous B.C. rodeos over the years and filed cruelty complaints related to inhumane handling and treatment of animals, including potentially illegal use of electric prods, animals appearing to be in distress, and animals being hit, kicked, and having their ears and tails pulled and twisted to make them flee or buck.
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Help more animal lovers learn about this opportunity.
Share this graphic on your social media and encourage others to write to their decision-makers.
Government funding continues while protections lag
At the same time, animals used in rodeos have very limited legal protection in practice. B.C.’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act prohibits causing or permitting an animal to be in distress, including situations involving pain, suffering, or injury, and requires that those responsible protect animals from circumstances likely to cause distress.
However, those protections do not apply where distress results from activities carried out in line with “reasonable and generally accepted practices of animal management.”
There are no regulations relating to rodeo and no “reasonable and generally accepted practices” defined in the Act or associated regulations relating to the treatment of animals used in rodeo. There is also no independent, third-party oversight of rodeos. Instead, the rodeo industry makes its own rules, which enforcement agencies look to in order to determine what are reasonable and generally accepted practices of animal management for the industry.
In practice, the rodeo industry is allowed to regulate itself with virtually no oversight.
Take action for animals!
Join the VHS in calling on B.C.’s Ministry of Tourism to exclude rodeos from publicly funded grant programs, and urging provincial decision-makers to strengthen protections for animals used in entertainment and end inhumane rodeo events.
Many of us, or children in our lives, have passed snakes around classrooms, seen hedgehogs or tortoises sitting under bright lights at birthday parties, or seen lizards displayed in plastic containers at exotic pet expos.
Across British Columbia, exotic animals are being transported to birthday parties, schools, fairs, and expo events through what are known as mobile live animal programs, or MLAPs. These programs are often marketed as educational and family friendly. But what do they really teach, and at what cost?
There are growing calls, including from the VHS, other animal protection organizations, and the Union of B.C. Municipalities, for the B.C. government to regulate mobile live animal programs and update outdated exotic animal regulations using a science-based approach.
Because these programs are often presented as educational or harmless, many people have questions about how they work and what impacts they may have on animals, public safety, and conservation.
Below are answers to some of the most common questions about mobile live animal programs and exotic animal regulations in B.C.
MLAPs involve transporting animals to different locations for display, public entertainment, fundraising, or sale. This can include travelling petting zoos, classroom presentations, reptile expos, and events where exotic animals are sold.
Many of the animals used in these programs are wild, exotic animals. By this, we mean that they are non-domesticated species native to countries outside Canada. Unlike dogs, cats, or horses, exotic animals have not been domesticated over thousands of years to live alongside people. Species like snakes, lizards, tortoises, sugar gliders, and spiders retain their wild instincts, even if bred in captivity.
Are these programs really educational?
MLAPs are often defended as hands-on learning experiences that help children develop care for conservation or empathy for animals. However, research does not support the claim that interacting with live animals in these settings increases conservation knowledge or action.
Some research actually suggests that these experiences can result in negative emotional or intellectual perceptions of animals. Seeing animals removed from their natural environments, confined in small enclosures, and handled repeatedly can normalize the idea that wild animals exist for human use.
Hands-on interactions can also increase the desire to own exotic animals, particularly among children. Rather than discouraging impulse purchases, close contact may unintentionally fuel demand.
Researchers note that seeing animals up close is not necessary to foster learning, care, or conservation. Many beloved species, such as humpback whales, are widely protected without ever being held or handled by the public.
Why don’t many exotic animals make good pets?
Exotic animals, whether captive bred or wild caught, have complex social, behavioural, dietary, and environmental needs. These needs are difficult to meet in captivity and even more difficult in private homes.
When their needs are not met, animals may suffer chronic stress, illness, and premature death. It can also be challenging and costly to access specialized veterinary care. This can result in painful death, abandonment or surrender to already overburdened rescues.
Even well-intentioned guardians may not have the expertise or resources required to properly care for exotic species. That is why the VHS supports a science-based “positive list” framework. This framework would outline species allowed to be kept as pets and would be based on welfare, health, safety, and environmental criteria.
B.C.’s current Controlled Alien Species Regulations (CASR) are based on a lengthy and reactive “negative listing” approach, which lists 1000+ restricted and prohibited species. The current regulations also do not include animal welfare or disease risk as considerations for which animals are prohibited.
What happens to animals during these events?
Exotic animals used in MLAPs face significant welfare risks, including stress from:
Frequent travel to and from events, sometimes long distances
Repeated public handling
Undersized or barren enclosures during transport and display
Inability to escape from public view or the view of other animals
Exposure to unnatural lighting, temperature, humidity, noise, and smells
Research shows that many reptiles and other exotic animals hide signs of stress as a survival tactic. An animal that appears calm may still be experiencing chronic stress, which can have serious physical and psychological impacts.
The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries opposes public contact with wildlife, stating that pay-to-play activities are never in the best interest of the animal and can pose risks to both public safety and animal health.
Why are animal enclosures at exotic animal events a concern?
Many exotic animals are sold across the province in barren, plastic take-out style containers with little to no enrichment, space, or opportunity to exhibit natural behaviours. It is often unclear how long animals remain in these containers throughout the duration of an event, which may last several hours or even multiple days.
To justify this type of confinement, some organizations have referenced the International Air Transport Association’s Live Animals Regulations. These guidelines are designed to keep animals safe during air travel, where they may risk injury due to turbulence, and are intended to apply only during active transport.
However, while travel to and from events may require temporary housing, displaying animals for sale or entertainment at an expo or event is not a period of active travel and does not pose the same safety risks as periods of active travel. Stress that animals experience in these housing environments far outweigh any potential benefits.
Travel is often one of the most stressful events in any animal’s life, and all efforts should be made to minimize the need to transport animals, the duration of travel, and time spent in restrictive temporary housing.
Unlike transportation guidelines, there are currently no consistent provincial standards in B.C. that regulate adequate animal handling or living spaces at mobile live animal events. Keeping animals in temporary, restrictive housing for entire days or weekends for the purpose of sale or public display can compromise animal welfare and increase stress and suffering.
What about rescues?
Some MLAPs describe themselves as rescues that rely on events to raise funds for animal care. While funding challenges are real, reputable sanctuaries and rescues prioritize animal welfare above all else and successfully raise funds without putting animals at risk of stress and suffering.
Grants, animal sponsorship programs, online peer-to-peer fundraising, corporate partnerships, and community events offer sustainable alternatives. Ethical rescues prioritize the long-term well-being of animals and do not use wild or exotic animals for public handling or entertainment.
What changes are we calling for?
The VHS is urging the B.C. government to:
Establish clear, enforceable regulations for mobile live animal programs that address animal welfare, environmental, public health and safety issues;
Update and strengthen the CASR to prioritize animal welfare and public health considerations, alongside public safety, when determining which species can be kept, bred, and traded;
Support a ban on keeping exotic species that cannot be humanely or safely kept.
We can foster compassion for animals without transporting them to and from parties and expos to be handled and put on display. Documentaries, virtual learning, sanctuary/rescue visits that prioritize animal well-being, and conservation programs all offer meaningful ways to engage the public.
As public awareness grows, sentiment is shifting away from using live animals for entertainment and outreach. B.C. has an opportunity to lead with thoughtful, science-based policy that protects animals, public safety, and native ecosystems.
If you believe wild, exotic animals deserve better protection, join us in calling on the provincial government to regulate mobile live animal programs and update B.C.’s exotic animal rules.
Together, we can build a future where education and compassion never come at the expense of animal welfare.
The VHS is grateful to the Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada for their generous grant funding of our work to raise awareness about the suffering of wild, exotic animals kept in captivity as pets and used in mobile live animal programs.
TAKE ACTION! Add your name to the campaign
Ask the provincial government to take meaningful action on this issue by implementing the UBCM’s recommendations.
In response to the provincial government announcing the end of government funding for horse racing, Hastings Racecourse has announced they will stop horse racing effective immediately.
While there is industry pushback to the B.C. government’s announcement to end funding for horse racing, the decision did not happen in isolation.
This change follows decades of decline in revenue and public support and heavy reliance on public funding.
Hastings Racecourse was the last active race track in B.C., meaning there is no more horse racing in the province.
Hastings has seen multiple fatalities in recent seasons, including three known horse deaths in 2025, four in 2024, and eight in 2023. Each loss is a reminder of the inherent risks horses face in the racing industry.
While incredibly grateful for this decision, the VHS recognizes the uncertainty it may create for workers and animals within the industry. The VHS urges the provincial government and industry stakeholders to ensure a just and compassionate transition plan, including:
Support for workers in the horse racing industry faced with this transition;
Safe, secure retirement and rehoming plans for horses.
Join the VHS in extending our sincere gratitude to Minister Nina Krieger for her leadership in making this decision and encourage meaningful support for workers and animals transitioning away from horse racing. Use the VHS’s quick action tool below to send a letter to the Minister and your Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA).
Vancouver bylaws allow horse-drawn carriages to operate on busy city streets, putting horses and the public at risk of serious injury.
The VHS has raised concern about horse-drawn carriages operating at events in busy, high-traffic commercial districts of Vancouver, such as Kerrisdale and Commercial Drive.
These urban environments are dangerous and can be stressful for horses due to traffic, noise, pollution, and unpredictable surroundings.
Cities like Montreal, Chicago, and Salt Lake City have already banned or restricted horse-drawn carriages for similar reasons.
SIGN THE PETITION: Urge Vancouver City Council to protect horses and the public from these risks by prohibiting horse-drawn carriages from busy city streets.
Horses are sensitive, social animals, not suited for navigating the increasingly busy, noisy, and unpredictable streets of a modern city. Yet, Vancouver bylaws still allow horse-drawn carriages to operate on busy roads in high-traffic commercial areas throughout the city.
These urban environments are filled with loud noises, fast-moving traffic, hard pavement, vehicle exhaust, and crowds that can easily startle horses, no matter how experienced or well-trained they are. The physical and mental toll on horses, especially from noise sensitivity, air pollution, and walking on hard concrete for hours, cannot be overlooked.
Growing public concern
Despite growing concerns, existing bylaws do not address the safety and welfare issues that carriage horses face in busy city environments.
In 2020, nearly 7,000 people signed a petition urging the Vancouver Park Board to remove horse-drawn carriages from Stanley Park, showing that public concern around this outdated practice is strong and growing.
In recent years, incidents in Vancouver, Victoria, and Montreal have underscored the risks associated with horse-drawn carriages in busy urban environments. Horses have bolted after being spooked, fallen on slippery streets, and collided with traffic. Cities across North America, including Montreal, have since chosen to ban or restrict horse-drawn carriages to prevent further harm.
Previous Incidents
Vancouver – Stanley Park
2016: A team of horses pulling a carriage was startled by a car horn and bolted along the Stanley Park seawall with passengers on board. The horses crossed a bike path, smashed a bench, and ran for approximately 100 metres. Multiple people were injured, including the driver who fell from the carriage.
2018: A horse-drawn carriage rolled back into a BC Transit bus that was following too closely. The impact caused both horses to fall and block traffic. They remained on the ground for over five minutes, and bystanders attempted to help, putting themselves at risk. Just months later, another carriage horse team was spooked and crashed into a parked car. Witnesses reported smashed windows and that the horses climbed onto the vehicle’s roof with their front hooves.
2023: A carriage horse tripped over a bike lane curb and fell after being spooked when its bridle caught on a railing following a tour. The driver was thrown from the carriage, which became stuck halfway in the bike lane, and sustained a minor cut to the head.
2024: A carriage horse is spooked after an equipment malfunction, resulting in the driver losing control of the horse, who proceeds to run and buck through an intersection. Passengers jumped out of the carriage before the horse collapsed on the concrete.
In recent years, the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) has monitored and documented several holiday events in Vancouver where horse-drawn carriages were used in busy commercial areas like Kerrisdale and Commercial Drive.
These events revealed patterns of concern, including:
Carriages turning across oncoming traffic at intersections
SIGN THE PETITION: Urge Vancouver City Council to protect the well-being and safety of horses and the public by prohibiting horse-drawn carriages from busy city streets.
Zoos and aquariumscannot replicate the size and complexity of a wild animal’s natural habitat. Captive wildlife are also unable to engage in many natural behaviours that are crucial to their physical, social and psychological well-being. Captive exotic animals are often kept in climates that are not suitable for their species.
According to polling,89% of British Columbians oppose the international trade of exotic animals (wild animals not native to B.C.) to be kept on display in permanent captivity in zoos and aquariums.
Learn more about exotic, wild animal captivity and help raise awareness
Scroll through the infographics below to learn more about the issues facing captive wild animals. Click the images to save and share them on social media, or scroll down the page for key messages to share on Twitter.
Wild, exotic animals have no place in B.C. zoos. I support @vanhumane’s suggested restrictions to animal captivity.
I signed the petition to protect wild, exotic animals from suffering in captivity! Will you join me?
B.C.’s Controlled Alien Species regulation has not been updated since 2009 and is overdue for an update. Sign the petition to call for changes!
B.C.’s outdated regulations
There are loopholes in the law when it comes to keeping exotic animals. While B.C. has regulations related to the possession, transportation and breeding of exotic animals (wild animals not native to B.C.), the “Controlled Alien Species” (CAS) regulation prohibits only species that pose the greatest threat to public health and safety and does not consider animal welfare or a species’ suitability for captivity. This leaves out many exotic species, such as kangaroos and zebras, who are not subject to the CAS regulation.
The international trade of animals also increases the risk of disease spread. One in four emerging diseases is zoonotic; many of the most serious illnesses of our lifetimes have originated in animals, including COVID-19.
In B.C., zoos and aquariums, industries using animals for research, and the TV and film industry can get permits to keep dangerous exotic animals through provincial laws regulating the trade of exotic animals. These Controlled Alien Species permits lead to frequent trade of exotic animals and end up resulting in at best, boredom and repetitive behaviours, and at worst, physical suffering and early death.
The province has not significantly updated the CAS regulation since its passing in 2009 and it is overdue for an update.
A Hippo at the Greater Vancouver Zoo (GVZoo) stands in a small, barren, concrete pool. Hippos are semi-aquatic species, spending much of their day in the water. They prefer slow moving water in which they can swim freely, but no flowing water was evident in their indoor pool at the GVZoo.
A Giraffe at the Greater Vancouver Zoo is seen licking the bars of their enclosure. Stereotypic behaviours like this, which are repetitive and don’t serve a purpose, are common in animals kept in captivity and occur due to an inability to express natural behaviours.
Another photo of a Giraffe at the Greater Vancouver Zoo, biting on the bars of their enclosure.
A Caiman at the Vancouver Aquarium floats motionless with her snout pressed up against the glass of the enclosure.
A Sea Otter at the Vancouver Aquarium looks out beyond the glass window of their enclosure.
A well-worn path along the perimeter of Hana the Tiger’s enclosure at the Greater Vancouver Zoo. This is a result of pacing, which can be a sign of stereotypic behaviour by animals who are frustrated and stressed in captivity.
In December 2021, a Greater Vancouver Zoo employee was injured when a Jaguar climbed up a feeding chute and gripped the worker’s hand in his mouth.
Lions at the Greater Vancouver Zoo, looking at each other through a fence that separates them.
A solitary Lion, named Boomer, paces the fence-line of his barren enclosure at the Greater Vancouver Zoo.
A Black Bear paces the perimeter of their enclosure at the Greater Vancouver Zoo. A cable that delivers electric shocks, deterring the bear from trying to escape, runs along the fence-line.
Hana the Tiger paces the well-worn path in her enclosure at the Greater Vancouver Zoo.
The Controlled Alien Species regulation leaves out many exotic species, such as Zebras, which can still legally be kept by anyone in B.C.
A Steller Sea Lion at the Vancouver Aquarium approaches the edge of her tank, which is surrounded by a cable that delivers electric shocks to prevent her from escaping.
The deepest part of the Northern Fur Seal enclosure at the Vancouver Aquarium. In the wild, Northern Fur Seals can dive to depths of up to 200 m (656 ft) in search of schooling fish and squid.
Frequently Asked Questions
If this regulation were to change, what would happen to the exotic animals currently in captivity?
We are suggesting that the Controlled Alien Species regulation be updated to address the bringing of new exotic species into captivity, whether through breeding or transporting animals into B.C. Where animals are already in captivity, facilities and caregivers should focus on doing everything they can to best meet those animals’ needs. This may include moving them to a more appropriate facility, such as a credible sanctuary.
What if native species are injured or orphaned and in need of rescue?
There is valuable work being done by rehabilitation groups across B.C. to help injured and orphaned native wildlife. This includes at the Vancouver Aquarium’s marine mammal rescue centre. This is the direction we think these facilities should move toward – ending the keeping of wild, exotic animals in permanent captivity for public education and entertainment and instead focusing on rescue, rehab and release programs.
How could these facilities remain economically viable?
More and more facilities are moving toward interactive and engaging animal-free exhibits through the use of emerging technology. Given that B.C. is a hub for the growing virtual reality industry, facilities in B.C. are well-positioned to make use of local expertise while continuing to educate the public and support rescue, rehab and release work. Scaling back on the number of animals in captivity will also reduce operating costs to allow for more of a focus on rescue and conservation.
Permits are only issued to CAZA-accredited or equivalent zoos and aquariums; isn’t this an indication they are regulated?
CAZA is a self-regulating industry group without the legal authority to conduct legitimate investigations into cruelty. Furthermore, because CAZA is self-regulating from within the industry, there is effectively no incentive for CAZA to improve the welfare of animals beyond what consumers and the law demand. Our reports and photos from over the course of a number of years demonstrate that accreditation doesn’t necessarily translate into better welfare for captive animals.
Aren’t captive animals used for important research work?
Much of the research done by zoos and aquariums is related to the keeping of animals in captivity, rather than benefiting species in the wild. For research that can translate to meaningful conclusions about wildlife and conservation, there are non-invasive tools and techniques used to research animals in the wild thanks to great leaps in technology over the years.
Isn’t it important for children to see animals up close?
The connections between children and animals is unique and special. Luckily, there are many ways for children to develop empathy for animals without contributing to their suffering in captivity. Here are some great animal-friendly activities that families can enjoy together.
Why is the Vancouver Humane Society addressing this issue?
As an animal protection organization, VHS works on a wide variety of animal issues, ranging from animals in entertainment and captivity, to farmed animals, wildlife, and companion animal veterinary assistance to help people experiencing low-income or other barriers. We aim to end animal suffering in all forms, including the suffering of captive animals who belong in the wild.
