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An exciting newly expanded act for elephants, great apes, and other captive wild animals is headed for passage in Canada. The Jane Goodall Act, first introduced in the Canadian Senate in 2020, has recently been reintroduced with added protections for even more species of captive wild animals. Please join us in urging the Canadian Senate to pass this breakthrough law to give captive wild animals in Canada the right to live free from forced breeding, captivity, and other forms of abuse.

The original bill was tabled in September 2021 due to elections in Canada. Thanks to Sen. Marty Klyne, who took the lead in bringing the Jane Goodall Act back to the Senate as S-241, this bold and sweeping act is headed for a vote in the Senate, before moving on to the House. In addition to protection for elephants, great apes, and cetaceans, the act now has added protections for captive big cats, bears, wolves, sea lions, reptiles such as alligators, and almost 800 other species.

As we advocated for in 2020, this legislation would prohibit the confinement, breeding, and importing of wild animals in captive facilities throughout Canada. It would also strengthen an existing but flawed ban on the importation of elephant ivory and other hunting trophies and would grant legal standing to great apes, elephants, whales, and dolphins. Granting animals legal standing would be a watershed event that would transform the landscape of animal protection in Canada.

The bill states that it will be unlawful, and subject to a significant fine if any person promotes or utilizes a cetacean, great ape, elephant, or designated animals for performance for entertainment. Furthermore, it will be unlawful not only to breed wild animals in confinement but to import their embryos or any other materials used for breeding is also prohibited.

If passed, this act would make a game-changing difference for Canada's captive wild animals. It would mean no more forced breeding, and no more breaking up of family groups to support breeding in other zoos. So many animals are currently shuttled from zoo to zoo to breed and/or populate various zoos' declining populations of elephants, big apes, or other captive wildlife. These animals already suffer so much in captivity, so this bill's passage would be a welcome reprieve from the trauma of transport and the disruption of their bonds with the other animals at the zoo who form their makeshift families.

The bill does unfortunately have some troubling exemptions. For instance, it does nothing to end captivity for current captives including poor Lucy, the solitary elephant at the Edmonton Zoo in Alberta. We have been diligently working with local activists to retire Lucy to an accredited sanctuary. This bill allows zoos to hold onto animals who are currently in captivity and forces the animals to remain where they are. However, there is a small fortunate caveat. If zoos are not taking proper care of their animals, those zoos could be forced to provide improved conditions for their animals or retire them to a sanctuary. The question remains of how that determination would be made, using what standards, and by whom. CAZA, Canada's Accredited Zoos & Aquariums, which accredits Canadian zoos, has even weaker standards than its American sister organization, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), with only voluntarily followed suggested guidelines. It failed to ban bullhooks, for instance.

Despite these issues, the Jane Goodall Act would start the clock ticking toward a future without captive animals and would also go far to change the lives of so many currently existing captive animals for the better. Please join us in urging the Canadian Senate to pass this precedent-setting law to give elephants, dolphins, great apes, and other animals the right for the first time to experience their lives free of the pain and suffering of being hunted for trophies in other countries by Canadians, held captive, forced to breed and to perform against their wills for profit.

Letter to Decision maker(s) for reference:

Subject: Pass the landmark Jane Goodall Act to protect captive wild animals in Canada

Dear Canadian Senate:

As someone concerned with animals and their welfare, and one of over 250,000 In Defense of Animals supporters, I’m writing to encourage you to pass the Jane Goodall Act, which was recently reintroduced by Senator Marty Klyne and has the support of world-renowned ethologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall.

This newly expanded act, S-241, is a breakthrough law to give captive wild animals in Canada the ability to live free from invasive breeding procedures, captivity, and abuse. This bold sweeping act has been improved to provide protection for not just elephants, great apes, and cetaceans, but it also now has added protections for captive big cats, bears, wolves, sea lions, reptiles such as alligators, and almost 800 other species.

This landmark legislation introduces a brand new set of compassionate regulations for captive wildlife, by prohibiting the confinement, breeding, and importing of wild animals in captive facilities throughout Canada. It would also strengthen an existing ban on the importation of elephant ivory and other hunting trophies and would grant legal standing to great apes, elephants, whales, and dolphins. Granting animals legal standing would be a watershed event that would transform the landscape of animal protection in Canada.

The bill has vital enforcement provisions to protect captive wildlife including a significant fine if any person promotes or utilizes a cetacean, great ape, elephant, or designated animals for performance or entertainment. Furthermore, it will be unlawful not only to breed wild animals in confinement but to import their embryos or any other materials used for breeding would also be prohibited.

If passed, this act would make a game-changing difference for Canada's captive wild animals. It would mean no more forced breeding, and no more breaking up of family groups to support breeding in other zoos. So many animals are shuttled from zoo to zoo to breed and/or populate the receiving zoo's declining population of elephants, big apes, or other captive wildlife. These animals already suffer so much in captivity, so this would be a welcome reprieve from the trauma of transport and the disruption of their bonds with the other animals at the zoo who form their makeshift families.

Should the bill ultimately pass the Senate, Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith has said he will sponsor the bill in the House of Commons. And should it then pass the House, the Jane Goodall Act will join the ranks of the most important pieces of animal protection legislation in world history.

I implore you to vote in support of this precedent-setting and humane bill that will do so much to protect Canada's captive wildlife.

Sincerely,

Signed

This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.