Senior wildlife specialist reveals the truth of roadside zoos

Driving down Highway 17 just east of Ottawa, you might notice a sign for Papanack Park Zoo. It’s been a long drive, the kids are tired, and everyone could use a stretch.

You step out of our car to all wonderment. Just 50 kilometres from Parliament Hill, you can see tigers, kangaroos, and other exotic animals.

But if you take a closer look, Papanack Park is not the same experience as the Toronto Zoo. Animals are in small enclosures with little to no place to shelter or hide. And according to experts, almost none of the money the attraction makes is going into conservation efforts.

Papanack Park, which is now temporarily closed, is a roadside zoo and one of approximately 30 that exist across the province. CityNews Ottawa reached out in regards to this story for comment from Papanack Zoo.

Erin Ryan, wildlife campaign manager with World Animal Protection, took off last month to visit a substantial number of these so-called zoos, to see what was really going on.

“It was a really eye-opening experience for me because having looked at the problem from an outside perspective for a long time, I kind of had an idea of what to expect,” Ryan told CityNews. “But seeing it in action is a very different story.”

She began her journey in the Ottawa Valley and made her way all the way east, past London, Ont., before heading as far north as Sudbury. She was surprised to see how many commonalities there were in the functionality of the attractions across the province.

“A lot of these enclosures had very little to no greenery whatsoever. It was just either barren concrete pads or wood mulch, and sometimes even barely access to sunlight,” she said.

Ryan said it was clear to her that the enclosures at these attractions are built for the benefit of the people visiting, not the animals. In most cases, visitors were able to walk all around the enclosures, meaning the animals could not get any peace. This resulted in many of what Ryan calls stereotypical behaviours, like pacing, which means the animals are under stress.

Some of these roadside zoos have been reprimanded for failing to properly take care of their animals, but the fact of the matter, Ryan said, is that provincial legislation is seriously lacking.

“Through the provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, there is a small standard of care,” she said, “but that really covers just the basics of having access to food and water.”

Any other policy comes from a scattered framework of bylaws across municipalities that leave a piecemeal approach across the province, experts say.

And Ontario is falling gravely behind. It is the only province that does not control the keeping of non-native or exotic animals, which means, anyone can own an exotic animal or even start a zoo, and there is no registry to track where exotic animals are kept or how many exist in captivity.

Polling from World Animal Protection concluded that 88 per cent of Ontarians would support regulations to keep zoos in check.

“Having a zoo and operating a zoo should be left to professionals, and not just to anybody,” Ryan said. “Unfortunately, Ontario is the weakest jurisdiction when it comes to regulations for captive wildlife. And in most other provinces, you even need a permit just to have non-native wildlife.”

---

---

Legislation does not even exist to prevent individuals from breeding exotic wildlife. Ryan said on her visits, it was clear that baby animals draw crowds, and these animals are continuing to be bred into captivity.

World Animal Protection is supporting two Ontario MPPs who are looking to change such legislation.

In December 2024, Ottawa-Vanier MPP Lucille Collard introduced a bill at Queen’s Park that would impose mandatory licensing for zoos, annual inspections of safety and care standards and prohibit the use of wild animals for entertainment purposes.

“Keeping exotic wild animals in inadequate conditions is not only harmful to the animals but also dangerous for the public. Owning and caring for wild animals should be restricted to qualified individuals and organizations who are subject to proper government oversight,” Collard said in a press release. “It is long past time for Ontario to implement a regulatory framework for the keeping of wild animals in order to ensure the well-being of the animals and keep the public safe.”

The bill, however, died on an order paper when Doug Ford called the snap election earlier this year, which is what happens when any bills don’t reach Royal Assent before the legislature is interrupted.

But at the end of May, MPP Collard joined forces with Kanata-Carleton MPP Karen McCrimmon to reintroduce the bill into the legislature.

“We owe our communities the safety and peace of mind that comes with properly regulated zoos. That means safety for guests, for employees, and for animals,” McCrimmon said in a press release. “The humane treatment of these exotic animals is not a burden, but the bare minimum for a safe and ethical industry in Ontario.”

Ryan said change will not happen overnight. If a bill such as this were to pass, many of these roadside attractions would not be able to continue operating. Therefore, she said there would have to be provisions to ensure that these animals could be transferred to accredited sanctuaries or professional zoos to receive proper care.

“The safety and well-being of both animals and people depend on these regulations. This act sends a clear message: substandard conditions and neglect have no place in Ontario,” Dolf DeJong, CEO of the Toronto Zoo said in a press release. “As wildlife advocates, we are committed to being a leader in wildlife conservation and education.”