Latest News & Updates


Snakes need space just like all other animals

By Rob Laidlaw Imagine being in a tiny tank, drawer or container where you can’t even stretch out. While understanding of the basic biological, behavioural and social needs of wild animals in captivity has grown substantially in recent decades, some animals are still subjected to longstanding, outdated, inhumane husbandry conditions […]


Battle for information vindicates Alberta’s wild horses

People often say they think that campaigning for animals seems like a fun job, but in truth about 90% of it is gathering and assessing information to support or lobby for good policy decisions for animal protection. A perfect example of this “less glamorous”, behind the scenes work can be […]


Kids need Nature

This 2013 blog has an important message that should still resonate with parents today. Guest blogger N. Glen Perrett suggests getting kids out into nature as an alternative to looking at animals in captivity. You don’t need studies to realize that children aren’t receiving the same amount of exercise or […]


NO PLACE FOR A SLOTH!

Guest commentary by Kira Pedersen  (July 2023) I recently visited a mobile zoo exhibit where, among other animals, I met a sloth for the first time and it wasn’t fun. While it was a miserable experience for me, it was undoubtedly worse for the sloth. The traveling animal show was […]


The Subjugation of Canadian Wildlife – A thought provoking lecture by Max Foran

Click here to watch Max Foran’s presentation Fabulous presentation by world-renowned historian, author and educator Max Foran. We believe it’s one of the best talks ever about wildlife management and why Canada treats wildlife (and other animals) the way it does today. This was the keynote talk at Zoocheck’s Saving […]


Essential Reading for Wildlife Ethusiasts

The Subjugation of Canadian Wildlife, Failures of Principle and Policy is a must read book by long-time Zoocheck friend Max Foran and it’s one of the best books ever explaining why Canadian wildlife is treated like it is today. It should be required reading in every university and college wildlife […]


Reflections on Captive Fish Prompted by New Quebec Aquarium Proposal

Opinion commentary by Rob Laidlaw (May 31, 2023) (scroll to bottom to see text of December 11, 2022 Facebook post about proposed aquarium) As a young child I developed a fascination with wildlife of all kinds. At some point that I can’t remember I became particularly interested in fish and […]


Why does Ontario want more penned hunting compounds?

COMMENTS NEEDED BY MAY 18, 2023 The Ontario government’s proposed expansion of hunting dog training and trialing compounds (penned hunting) is another nonsensical and disturbing wildlife use development that should not be supported by anyone, including hunters who consider themselves ethical. The expansion of dog training and trialing compounds is […]


Dispensable lives, zoos and culling (Guest Opinion Editorial)

Guest Opinion Commentary – March 2023 by Shubhobroto Ghosh, Wildlife Research Manager of World Animal Protection (India), author of Dreaming in Calcutta And Channel Islands Following news of zoos and animals in captivity as I do regularly, some recent news of animals being intentionally killed in zoos caught my eye. […]


New scientific paper on MLAPs (Mobile Live Animal Programs)

Click here to read Mobile Zoos and Other Itinerant Animal Handling Events: Current Status and Recommendations for Future Policies (2023) MLAPs in many parts of Canada, and particularly Ontario are either loosely regulated or not regulated at all. There are hundreds of businesses, ranging from small, one person, part-time operations […]