The Jane Goodall Act - banning elephants and apes in Canada

TZFan said:
Not good news. Apparently a senator has tried to introduce a bill called the Jane Goodall Act, to ban keeping elephants and great apes in Canada.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/african-lion-safari-1.5938024
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This article gives a little more info: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/jane-goodall-ape-elephant-captivity-1.5803836

The bill would amend the Criminal Code to make it a federal offence to own a great ape or an elephant, or to breed these animals — with some limited exceptions for those pursuing "non-harmful scientific research" and for cases where an animal's welfare is in question. Zoos and other places would be able to keep their current stocks of these animals.

If enacted, it appears the outcome will be similar to the Orca population held within Sea World’s facilities in that there will be a ban on breeding; but considering elephants and great apes are equally long lived, they could potentially remain at the facilities involved for decades.

There’s been a similar (voluntary) movement within Australasian Zoos to phase out their elephants with Auckland, Melbourne and Perth Zoo having announced plans to discontinue with them; and Wellington and Adelaide having previously phased out the species years ago. In these five cases, the decision was made on welfare grounds that a city zoo is no place for an elephant. They continue to be held in our open range zoos, with Werribee Zoo building a new exhibit in 2023.
 
This sounds quite interesting! I do hope that there would still be the ability to keep them if wanted, however, so the fact that certain zoos still take them in is nice.
I think I would've preferred it if it was voluntary like Australia's though because that still allows them to bring back elephants if needed.
 
Jane Goodall Act seems will destroy all the zoos in Canada, since it not only bans elephants in captivity but also Great Apes, Big Cats, and Bears.
 
StellarChaser said:
Jane Goodall Act seems will destroy all the zoos in Canada, since it not only bans elephants in captivity but also Great Apes, Big Cats, and Bears.
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I don't know well Canadian laws, but it seems that this bill targets private owners and "roadside zoos" with poor husbandry in most cases, while it is supported by major Canadian zoos as Toronto, Granby and Biodôme.
Senator proposes bill to ban captivity of certain animals, protect others

About the special issues of elephants, I would think that most of this country is hardly suitable for elephant captivity, because of the harsh winters.
At opposite, it isn't the case of most cats and bears, a lot of species are cold-tolerant ; additionnally several of them are endangered and/or native of Canadian fauna, keeping and breeding them makes sense for education, conservation and even animal welfare (in the case of animals rescued in the wild) purposes.
 
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For those interested; here is the public bill for that the Government is currently reading that seeks to ban/limit species
Public Bill (Senate) S-241 (44-1) - First Reading - Jane Goodall Act - Parliament of Canada

My questions are:
What does this mean for cross-border SSPs?

How exactly could other zoos & aquariums get the designations/permits?

What does this mean for high profile species such as the prolific elephant herd at ALS? Or also Lucy/ the Quebec elephants?

Will this affect enrichment programs due to some behaviours being classified as “entertaining” ?

Will seeking animals born in human care from other facilities be limited?

Feel free to add your questions and to discuss. If there’s something we can do to try to mitigate the harm of the bill - we should try to!
 
It seems like SSPs will continue in accredited zoos.
My main concern is what's going to all the animals that are about to happen to the 4000 big cats, probably an equal number of wolves, bears, listed primates, large snakes and alligators across Canada.
It seems like this can only end in mass euthanasia, Canada's accredited zoos have no way of swallowing this many animals. I doubt American accredited sanctuaries and zoos would be able top either. That's even if the government paid to relocate them, most owners will probably go for euthanasia then pay out of pocket to relocate them.
I'm not against this bill just believe this has to be taken into account and not swept under the carpet
 
Haliaeetus said:
I don't know well Canadian laws, but it seems that this bill targets private owners and "roadside zoos" with poor husbandry in most cases, while it is supported by major Canadian zoos as Toronto, Granby and Biodôme.
Senator proposes bill to ban captivity of certain animals, protect others

About the special issues of elephants, I would think that most of this country is hardly suitable for elephant captivity, because of the harsh winters.
At opposite, it isn't the case of most cats and bears, a lot of species are cold-tolerant ; additionnally several of them are endangered and/or native of Canadian fauna, keeping and breeding them makes sense for education, conservation and even animal welfare (in the case of animals rescued in the wild) purposes.
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Biodome doesn't have large animals, so will not be impacted by the Act that much.
For other major zoos, they support the Act to earn a reputation, so common people may feel "oh these Zoos really put concern on animals' welfare, good for them". While the Act will forbid the Zoos to have Elephants, Tigers, Lions, Bears and Great Apes, that can give those Zoos a good excuse to phase out these species so more costs can be saved, since these animals consume lots of food and big labor costs to care them. I won't be surprised if Toronto Zoo gonna phase out Polar Bear or Gorilla in the following years, and Trt Zoo already has the possibility to phase out Grizzly Bears.
 
While I know nothing of plans to get a new bull just wanna point out that African Lion Safari might be looking to get the elephants out of Canada ASAP too. The government is mulling over the Jane Goodall Act which would bring about wide sweeping laws regarding zoos. One of the things being considered is banning the captivity and breeding of elephants in Canada. If that's the case then African Lion Safari would be smart to get the elephants out before a breeding ban is put in place which could restrict their ability to be bred even if they are sent to the US much like the captive whale ban did with the belugas at Marineland. I honestly don't know much about what's in the law but if there is a ban breeding African Lion Safari should get any breeding age animals out of the country without restrictions while they can.
 
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TZFan said:
While I know nothing of plans to get a new bull just wanna point out that ALS might be looking to get the elephants out of Canada ASAP too. The government is mulling over the Jane Goodall Act which would bring about wide sweeping laws regarding zoos. One of the things being considered is banning the captivity and breeding of elephants in Canada. If that's the case then ALS would be smart to get the elephants out before a breeding ban is put in place which could restrict their ability to be bred even if they are sent to the US much like the captive whale ban did with the belugas at Marineland. I honestly don't know much about what's in the law but if there is a ban breeding ALS should get any breeding age animals out of the country without restrictions while they can.
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From what I know it’s explicitly similar to how the cetacean bill went with restricting import/export/breeding. With opportunities to “add on” any animal government wishes to restrict..

Marineland’s 2019 calves were the last generation born, but they could have had 2020 births, as the bill grandfathered in those conceived prior to when it came in effect. But by March-April 2019 the sex-segregation took place.

It may be a mixed opinion and I don’t know what ALS’s management will do about the bill, but if they get the European bull, I’d hope that they accelerate breeding and numbers, at a capacity that ALS can handle.
 
TZFan said:
While I know nothing of plans to get a new bull just wanna point out that ALS might be looking to get the elephants out of Canada ASAP too. The government is mulling over the Jane Goodall Act which would bring about wide sweeping laws regarding zoos. One of the things being considered is banning the captivity and breeding of elephants in Canada. If that's the case then ALS would be smart to get the elephants out before a breeding ban is put in place which could restrict their ability to be bred even if they are sent to the US much like the captive whale ban did with the belugas at Marineland. I honestly don't know much about what's in the law but if there is a ban breeding ALS should get any breeding age animals out of the country without restrictions while they can.
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Why in the hell would Canada even consider banning the breeding of elephants when ALS is not only the only zoo in the country breeding them, but has one of the most successful captive Asian elephant breeding programs in the western hemisphere?!?

ALS's elephant program should be a point of pride for Canadians! The entire herd is kept together, they have over 300 acres to roam, a frigging lake to swim in, all breeding is natural and they have one of the lowest rates of EEHV!

If you're going to keep elephants in captivity, ALS is the best way to do it IMHO.
 
Wisp O' Mist said:
Why in the hell would Canada even consider banning the breeding of elephants when ALS is not only the only zoo in the country breeding them, but has one of the most successful captive Asian elephant breeding programs in the western hemisphere?!?

ALS's elephant program should be a point of pride for Canadians! The entire herd is kept together, they have over 300 acres to roam, a frigging lake to swim in, all breeding is natural and they have one of the lowest rates of EEHV!

If you're going to keep elephants in captivity, ALS is the best way to do it IMHO.
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But according to the geniuses writing these laws, clearly none of these good points are valid and ALS is merely a prison where animals are kept in misery for the sadistic pleasure of visitors because it doesn't have the word 'sanctuary' in its name;)
Seriously though, all snark aside, this act having Jane Goodall's name attached to it honestly breaks my heart. She's spoken favorably about zoos before; why has she turned her back on them now? I know she didn't write the act, but since it carries her name it's definitely meant to pay tribute to her in some way, so if she stood with zoos she'd speak out against it. I try to be accepting of all views if they come from an educated perspective, and obviously she is more than qualified when it comes to zoology. But it's just really disheartening to see the woman who is probably the most influential and groundbreaking zoologist of our time be involved with efforts to restrict zoos, when they're arguably needed now more than ever (especially for a species as at risk as Asian elephants).
 
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PantheraLeoMelanochaita said:
Seriously though, all snark aside, this act having Jane Goodall's name attached to it honestly breaks my heart. She's spoken favorably about zoos before; why has she turned her back on them now? I know she didn't write the act, but since it carries her name it's definitely meant to pay tribute to her in some way, so if she stood with zoos she'd speak out against it. I try to be accepting of all views if they come from an educated perspective, and obviously she is more than qualified when it comes to zoology. But it's just really disheartening to see the woman who is probably the most influential and groundbreaking zoologist of our time be involved with efforts to restrict zoos, when they're arguably needed now more than ever (especially for a species as at risk as Asian elephants).
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I heard Jane Goodall interviewed once and one of the questions was about zoos. She said that while she is fine with them, she doesn't think cetaceans or elephants should be in zoos.
 
Osedax said:
I heard Jane Goodall interviewed once and one of the questions was about zoos. She said that while she is fine with them, she doesn't think cetaceans or elephants should be in zoos.
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I suppose that’s fair. Elephant and cetacean captivity has an ugly history and most zoos/aquariums probably don’t have the immense resources needed to keep cetas or elephants happy in captivity. But the ones that do have done really great things for conservation and education, so I don’t think we should phase either of them out entirely. If the general public has to get anti-captivity opinions from anyone, I’d rather them get them from someone actually educated on the subject like Jane Goodall instead of PETA and co.
 
PantheraLeoMelanochaita said:
She's spoken favorably about zoos before; why has she turned her back on them now? I know she didn't write the act, but since it carries her name it's definitely meant to pay tribute to her in some way, so if she stood with zoos she'd speak out against it.
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From the wording on the Jane Goodall website it seems that she is very in favor of the legislation:
The Jane Goodall Act
Dr. Goodall and the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada (JGIC) worked closely with the Senator’s office throughout the development of the Jane Goodall Act. In addition to providing input and feedback throughout the drafting process, our role has been to bring all stakeholders and experts to the table to create a balanced legislation that would protect animals under human care and put an end to wildlife trafficking.
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"In Her own words":
“Today is an important day for animals. So many of them are in desperate need of our help and the Jane Goodall Act establishes protection and support for animals under human care. It is a monumental step forward for animals, people, and the environment. I am honoured to lend my name to this world-leading legislation that is supported by a wonderful coalition of government, conservationists, animal welfare groups and accredited zoos. Together we can and will provide a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves and put an end to the misery that is wildlife trafficking.
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PantheraLeoMelanochaita said:
She's spoken favorably about zoos before; why has she turned her back on them now? I know she didn't write the act, but since it carries her name it's definitely meant to pay tribute to her in some way, so if she stood with zoos she'd speak out against it. I try to be accepting of all views if they come from an educated perspective, and obviously she is more than qualified when it comes to zoology. But it's just really disheartening to see the woman who is probably the most influential and groundbreaking zoologist of our time be involved with efforts to restrict zoos, when they're arguably needed now more than ever (especially for a species as at risk as Asian elephants).
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Seeing as five AZA zoos in Canada support this act, I really don't think supporting it is "turning her back on zoos". Is the Toronto Zoo "turning its back on zoos"? I really don't think it is, it is simply a matter of strengthening the legal protections of certain species and prohibiting the import of certain commonly trafficked wildlife parts. Other than the elephant part, everything about this act seems really great, so I'd be curious as to why Goodall and others are supporting it. Furthermore, Goodall has never been wholly supportive of zoos, but instead supportive of *good* zoos. Obviously what is or isn't a good zoo is subjective, but Goodall has praised exhibits such as Kansas City Zoo's chimpanzee exhibit, while being critical of less naturalistic exhibits. This act, at least in Goodall's view, will not harm what she considers to be good zoos, while targeting the subpar ones.

Wisp O' Mist said:
Why in the hell would Canada even consider banning the breeding of elephants when ALS is not only the only zoo in the country breeding them, but has one of the most successful captive Asian elephant breeding programs in the western hemisphere?!?

ALS's elephant program should be a point of pride for Canadians! The entire herd is kept together, they have over 300 acres to roam, a frigging lake to swim in, all breeding is natural and they have one of the lowest rates of EEHV!

If you're going to keep elephants in captivity, ALS is the best way to do it IMHO.
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Keep in mind a lot of the opposition to elephants in captivity comes from a moral or ethical standpoint, not a scientific/animal welfare standpoint. I support keeping elephants in zoos (as long as it's done correctly), as I'm sure most of zoochat does, but to many who oppose elephants in zoos the very notion that it infringes on their rights is the problem, no matter how good or bad the exhibit is. I'm not saying this is the correct viewpoint, but philosophically it is a valid standpoint. If we want to debate keeping elephants in captivity, a debate that I think we should be having, it's important to first acknowledge where the other side is coming from, as that's the first step towards coming to some sort of an understanding.
 
I'm not going to talk smack about Jane Goodall but the fact that she's taking such an unscientific position is worrying, especially if such cancer becomes stronger in America.
 
tigris115 said:
I'm not going to talk smack about Jane Goodall but the fact that she's taking such an unscientific position is worrying, especially if such cancer becomes stronger in America.
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She is not taking an "unscientific position". She's taking a moral or ethical position, which in no ways contradicts any sort of science (neither does it support it). Simply a different way of looking at things. Again, while it seems a lot of the attention related to this act is on Goodall (understandably due to its name), all of Canada's AZA zoos are also supporting it, and these are organizations that are certainly not taking "unscientific" positions.
 
I choose to remain neutral when people ask me about the bill. But my only concern is of the large snakes, big cats and rhinos as they have endangered species could possibly helped more than the others. Also will those species being banned SSP's cease to exist in Canada? I also must ask what they consider cheetahs, cougars, servals and clouded leopard's "big cats" cheetahs and clouded leopard specifically could cause a headache for the CAZA and AZA(potentially). I do support the cetaceans not being captivity(Orca's specifically).
 
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