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UPDATE: Health Canada has announced a complete ban on strychnine use in Canada after consulting the public and stakeholders. All uses of strychnine will be illegal by September 7, 2024 and all registrations of strychnine will be cancelled. While this decision is a very positive outcome for animal welfare, this ban does not apply to …
News Category: Take action, Wildlife
Suppose you are looking out at a green space near your home and spot an interesting bird. Grabbing your phone, you open a bird identification app and log your observation. The day you logged your observation coincides with the Great Backyard Bird Count and you have joined people all around the world submitting their bird …
Continue reading “Citizen science lends wildlife a helping hand”
News Category: Wildlife
As we say goodbye to 2023, the BC SPCA’s Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre (Wild ARC) is already preparing for this year’s busy season. Thanks to the dedication of staff, volunteers and our community, Wild ARC was able to care for 2,132 animals last year from 131 different species, each with their own unique diet, treatment …
Continue reading “Wild ARC year-in-review – 2,132 animals treated in 2023”
News Category: Wildlife
What happens when someone can no longer keep their exotic pet? Unlike cats or dogs, exotic pets can’t be brought to just any animal shelter. Many shelters don’t have the facilities or expertise necessary to provide for their needs. Few rescue groups take in exotic animals, and those that do are often already at capacity. …
Continue reading “Exotic pets on the loose”
News Category: Wildlife
The BC SPCA is aware of sightings and reports of a purported wolf-dog hybrid in the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN), including a recent situation involving a young French Bulldog who was allegedly killed by the animal while walking on leash with its owners. With limited information on the animal and recognizing that the Society …
Continue reading “Purported wolf-dog hybrid near Coombs”
News Category: Wildlife
When wandering the aisles in a pet store, looking at all the tidy, brightly lit displays of lizards, frogs, snakes and tortoises for sale, the harms of the global wildlife trade can seem like a distant reality. Yet the truth is that there’s a link between those animals behind the glass and the suffering of …
Continue reading “5 reasons to care about the exotic pet trade”
News Category: Wildlife
UPDATE:Â The deadline for submitting feedback on the Grizzly Bear Stewardship Framework has passed and the survey is now closed. Engagement was open from July 12, 2023 and extended to October 31, 2023 from the original closing date of August 18, 2023. Further updates will be provided here as new information is released. You can read …
Continue reading “Province seeking feedback on grizzly bear stewardship framework”
News Category: Wildlife
A swaying elephant. A feather-plucked parrot. A pacing tiger. For many exotic animals, the signs of poor welfare in captivity are easy to spot. But what about reptiles? How can we tell when a snake is suffering? Can a snake suffer? The traditional view Reptiles have long been regarded as simple animals with little capacity …
Continue reading “Reptiles as pets: Five common myths debunked”
Humans aren’t the only ones who like the beach. A popular summertime destination, B.C.’s sandy shorelines are also attractive to local wildlife, like harbour seals. Starting in June, beaches all along the coast are transformed into harbour seal nurseries, as female seals come ashore to give birth, nurse and protect their young. Seal pup season …
Continue reading “Leave the wildlife alone: Baby seals are a part of busy B.C. beach season”
News Category: Wildlife
The welfare of farmed and wild animals is connected in many ways. Just as some diseases can jump between animals and people, diseases can also move between farmed and wild animals. In B.C., our wild and domestic sheep populations are fighting a battle against a deadly pathogen, known as M. ovi. What is M. ovi? …
Continue reading “M. ovi threatening domestic and wild sheep”
