Owning big cats is perfectly legal in much of Ontario. How many there are is a mystery
CBC News ·
Key points
- Ontario is the only Canadian province without a licensing or permit regime for keeping non-native wild animals, so municipalities decide what can be owned, leading to inconsistent enforcement and gaps in oversight.
- Wainfleet's 2018 bylaw initiative aimed at giving local authorities tools to manage exotic animals; chief bylaw officer Mark Tardif has handled cases ranging from tigers to sugar gliders and even escaped animals from Ringtail Ranch.
- CBC News traced multiple cases of private big-cat ownership and seizures, including a resident with several tigers in Wainfleet; authorities note there is no centralized dataset tracking these incidents provincewide.
- Provincial records requests revealed that data on complaints and seizures are scattered across systems, with costs and time to access estimated as prohibitive, and some agencies lacking any classification for exotic animals.
- Environment Canada indicated only two live tigers were imported into Ontario between 2022 and 2026, highlighting limited federal tracking and reinforcing the expectation that provincial records would carry the primary burden of ownership data.
- Experts warn of a 'giant gap' in tracking ownership and outcomes, describing covert networks and online trading that complicate enforcement and public safety, while acknowledging municipal rules can simply displace the problem elsewhere.
- A 2025 legislative attempt, Bill 35, would have required zoo licenses, annual inspections, and inventories, but has not advanced beyond first reading and remains in limbo, leaving the current bylaw-based approach in place.
Summary
Ontario allows private ownership of lions and tigers without a provincewide licensing system, leaving tracking and enforcement to municipalities. The lack of a centralized count means authorities don’t know how many big cats are in private hands, creating safety and welfare gaps as owners move animals to evade bylaws. Localities like Wainfleet have created their own rules, but a patchwork system shifts the problem rather than solving it. A proposed provincial framework, Bill 35, has stalled, leaving the status quo largely in place. The situation underscores a broader need for consistent oversight and reliable records going forward.
This summary was written with AI. The full story has every detail.