Caiman in Toronto park shows need for greater humane education

As though taking a page out of Lake Placid, the City of Toronto has successfully captured a caiman in High Park.

The cousin of an alligator, a caiman is a small reptile that some people ill-advisedly keep as a pet. They are native to South and Central America and grow from 1 metre long to 4 metres long, depending on the subspecies.

Toronto Animal Control and police were informed of the caiman after a YouTube video was picked up by mainstream media. After approximately one hour of work, the reptile was successfully captured without injuries.

It is unknown at this point if this was a pet or perhaps member of a zoo that was released or escaped into the popular pond. Regardless, it is illegal for a resident to own one in the city. And herein lays the problem: by-laws only work when coupled with education.

Humane education is not a subject many municipalities consider; typically, it falls to humane societies or non-profits like APFA to provide such educational programs. With your help, we can keep the message of humane education and wildlife respect on the radar of Canadians everywhere.

Photo YouTube screen capture

Help Make A Difference

Join The Fur-Bearers today and help us protect fur-bearing animals in the wild and confinement. To become a monthly donor (for as little as $10/month – the cost of two lattes) please click here and help us save lives today. Your donation is tax-deductible.

Tags

Latest Posts

Defender Radio

00.00
Listen To The Latest
  • Listen To The Latest

About Us

Established in 1953, The Fur-Bearers is a charitable, non-partisan organization whose goals are to end the commercial fur trade and promote solutions for wildlife coexistence in communities. Your donation is tax-deductible. Charitable registration number: 130006125RR0002

Pin It on Pinterest

Scroll to Top