The request for Senators to visit the African Lion Safari in Hamilton and view the elephant exhibit has been denied by the Senate legal affairs committee.
The committee is analyzing a government bill aimed at banning the captivity and breeding of elephants and great apes without a license for conservation, scientific research, or animal welfare purposes.
– Conservative Sen. Don Plett mentioned that the bill would greatly affect the African Lion Safari, a drive-through zoo located in Hamilton's ward 13 in the Dundas Valley that houses 17 elephants.
He finds it offensive that senators refuse to visit in person before passing a bill that could potentially harm a family-owned business.
– Senator Marty Klyne from the Progressive Senators Group opposes using $50,000 of taxpayer funds to only depict one perspective on elephant captivity. He argues that the expenses would escalate further if a visit to an elephant sanctuary for comparison were to be included.
Klyne believes that the research shows a clear negative impact of captivity on elephants, emphasizing the necessity of passing the bill.
Elephant rides at safari ceased in 2019 following an incident involving an injury.
– African Lion Safari, along with 54 other companies, was granted Ontario taxpayer money in 2023 to make up for tourism losses caused by the pandemic, as reported by CBC News.
The zoo was awarded a grant of $695,000, the highest amount possible. Similarly, other well-known tourist attractions like Canada's Wonderland also received the same grant.
– Elephant rides were offered at African Lion Safari in Flamborough, Ont., until 2019 when a trainer was injured by an elephant named Maggie.
The text asserts that CAZA permitted certain rides despite safety concerns raised by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. This discrepancy was highlighted in a CBC investigation.
CAZA announced the prohibition of elephant rides for its members in December of 2019.
