You can help us phase out elephant and great ape captivity in Canada!

If passed, Bill S-15 would phase out the captivity of elephants and great apes in Canada, a significant step forward in animal welfare! These intelligent, sentient beings, known for their complex social structures and familial bonds, do not belong in captivity where they are often used for entertainment purposes. This practice is not only unethical but also incompatible with the values we hold as Canadians.

This legislation is a strong start, but there is room for improvement. Humane Canada is advocating for amendments that would completely ban captivity for elephants in Canada because it serves no conservation purpose to keep them here, as well as include big cats such as lions, cheetahs and tigers into the current bill’s framework. Additionally, we support a "Noah Clause" that would allow the government to add more species to this legislation in future as scientific understanding evolves, without undergoing the lengthy legislative process again.

Did you know that in some jurisdictions across this country, owning a tiger is legal? This and many other startling facts underline the urgent need for comprehensive animal protection.

On April 11th, Humane Canada spoke to Parliament about our members support and proposed changes to the bill, including a complete ban on elephant captivity, ending captivity of non-native big cats such as lions and tigers, and the Noah clause, which is a mechanism that would allow government authority to include future species identified by science who are not good candidates for captivity to be included in the bill without the need to create new legislation. You can watch it below (starting at the 13:01 mark).