Canada - October 19, 2025 Six lions rescued from a roadside zoo in Quebec are being transported from Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Ontario to their permanent home at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas, USA. The operation was carried out through collaboration between Humane World for Animals Canada, formerly known as Humane Society International/Canada, and several sanctuaries. The effort required extensive coordination and resources, emphasizing the urgent call for national reform of Canada’s wildlife laws, including a federal ban on the captivity of big cats, elephants, and great apes for entertainment. The lions had been discovered confined in a small, barren shed at a closed roadside zoo, suffering from poor nutrition, lack of veterinary care, and signs of severe stress. Humane World for Animals Canada coordinated their rescue. This case follows Canada’s largest zoo animal seizure in 2019, when over 200 wild and exotic animals were removed from a roadside zoo in St-Édouard-de-Maskinongé by Humane World for Animals Canada and the Montreal SPCA. Rebecca Aldworth, executive director of Humane World for Animals Canada, said the lions’ story “illustrates the urgent need for government action,” noting that Canada’s captive wildlife “remain tragically under protected.” She added that without strong federal laws, “unethical facilities will continue to profit from animal suffering.” At Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, three new enclosures were built to house the lions temporarily. Weeks earlier, three of the rescued animals were transferred to The Wildcat Sanctuary in Minnesota. The remaining lions will now live permanently at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Tanya Smith of Turpentine Creek said, “We are pleased to welcome the lions from Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary. They will enjoy a good life at true sanctuary.” Linda Glimps of Aspen Valley described caring for the lions as “deeply moving and heartbreaking,” emphasizing that “no wild animal should ever endure the conditions they came from.” Tammy Thies of The Wildcat Sanctuary said the lions there are “already living happily wild at heart,” including lion cub Mango, who was born during the rescue. Humane World for Animals Canada is now urging the federal government to revive legislation banning the captivity of big cats, elephants, and great apes following the lapse of Bill S-15 after the recent election.