Court finds Marineland guilty of animal cruelty over care of 3 young black bears
Ontario has charged Marineland over the care of its black bears.
The Ministry of the Solicitor General said it laid the charges against the Niagara Falls, Ont., tourist attraction on Tuesday.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
"Marineland of Canada, Inc. in Niagara Falls, Ontario, has been charged with three counts of failing to comply with an order, related to the care of American Black Bears," said Brent Ross, a spokesman for the ministry.
Ross said the charges have been laid under a section of the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act that allows an inspector to issue an order to help animals that may be in distress. The facility must comply with the order or otherwise face charges.
The ministry declined to provide more details.
"Given this matter is now before the court, it would be inappropriate for the ministry to comment further," Ross said.
Marineland said it was working on providing comment.
It has previously said it treats all its animals well and exceeds the standards of care as prescribed under the law.
The park houses an unknown number of black bears that live together in an enclosure with dens and water. Visitors can feed the bears corn pops.
In 2016, when the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals enforced animal cruelty laws, Marineland was charged with one count of failing to comply with the prescribed standards of care for about 35 American black bears, including failing to provide adequate and appropriate food and water for them.
The Crown later dropped those charges, saying there was no reasonable chance for a conviction.
Marineland is shown in Niagara Falls, Ont., Monday, August 14, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tara Walton
In 2013, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals issued an order to Marineland to build separate habitats to protect bear cubs from being mauled and devoured by adult males. Marineland said it would develop a birth control program, which the OSPCA agreed to. The park said it complied with the order.
The province took over the enforcement of animal cruelty laws in 2020 after the OSPCA abdicated that role.
Since January 2020, provincial Animal Welfare Services anti-cruelty officers have been inspecting Marineland regularly, although details of the ongoing probe have not been released.
In 2021, Animal Welfare Services officers found that the marine mammals at the park were in distress due to poor water quality. On May 10 that year, they issued two orders to Marineland to repair the water system in the pools that house beluga whales, dolphins, walruses, sea lions and one killer whale.
Marineland appealed the order on May 18 that year, denying the animals were in distress, and noting that an unknown number of whale deaths at the park were not related to water issues.
Earlier this month, a beluga whale and a bottlenose dolphin died at the park.
That came following the death in March of Kiska, Canada's last remaining captive killer whale, at Marineland.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 31, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.