reptile zoo?

[timminsreptiles]

hi everyone........i would like to open a reptile zoo in my area. ive owned a reptile store for over a year n ow but selling reptiles isnt really my thing and i would really like to open a small reptile zoo.........would anyone know where to start? I've already dealt with the city and i know what i need as far as municipal licensing anf stuff but what other permits do i need (provencial or federal)?
any help would be appreciated......lucas

[BAZ]

maybe you should have a word with Paul

www.raysreptiles.com

[timminsreptiles]

tried that already.....there never there

[Steve]

I am also looking into the same information. I am looking to open a zoo in quebec not too far from montreal. I already have the land in my possession. All thats left is to build it and get the reptiles. Thats where my problem is...building the zoo and getting the herps takes alot of $ which I don't have, and at 20 years old its kinda hard to get a loan for over 300 000$

[timminsreptiles]

money and location aren't the problem for me......what im looking for is what permits i need and where do i go to get them?

[timminsreptiles]

i have just contacted the MNR and there gona put some nfo together for me and call me back..........but im sure that they will not have everything i need.

[Steve]

Timminsreptiles...
could you please e-mail me whatever info you get from them.
thanks

[ReptileHQ]

you don't need any permits unless you are in an area where the bylaws do not allow the animals you are keeping.

Now, if you want to be accredited with CAZA(Canadian association of Zoos and Aquariums) there is a whole process to go through. You'll find what you need to know here:

www.caza.ca

Good luck with your venture

Chris Riedinger

[timminsreptiles]

so what your saying is that lets say here for example......we have an exotic animal bylaw wich bans snakes, crocodilians, arachnids, felids ect...... but if you live in a rural area your are exempt from the bylaw. there also a few other exceptions like for educational purposes wich i already qualify for. so if i was to open this in a rural area there are no permits tht i would need? what will make me a zoo then....that means any dummy with a couple animals could call themselves a zoo if they wanted too? do you know what i mean?......arent there animals out there that can only be aquired by organizations with zoo status....what gives them that zoo status? another thing i was told before is that to have a zoo you have to have an in house vet?

[ReptileHQ]

any "dummy" CAN call themselves a "zoo"....not any "dummy" can be an "accredited zoo", where you would have to follow certain guidelines and regulations, and thats where zoos will trade rare animals amongst other "accredited zoos".

I'm not sure of the laws in your region, that would be for you to find out....contact animal control, or a bylaw officer, they'll be able to fill you in on the details....

contact CAZA, they will tell you what you would need in able to apply to be accredited.

Chris

[ReptileHQ]

and to the people I know with private zoos, I'm not calling you guys dummies LOL

[timminsreptiles]

Im not calling anybody a dummy, you know what i mean. I just was always under the assumption that you needed something at the provencial level. I already spoke with the bylaw office about this and they dont have much info other than what you need municiply. Ill get in contact with CAZA for sure, and i called zoocheck today and there gona get some info together for me.

I dont know.....the reptile store is ok but i worry about who those animals are going to and what will happen to them all the time. Id rather educate people about them and give them hands on experiences ( once you like something you want to protect it). Then selling them for a small profit. Id also like to set up a breeding facility where i could breed high end stuff that could help with some* of the cost of running the zoo and breed all of our own food of corse. Correct me if om wrong but I beleive that chances are much better for animal that was bought by someone willing to pay a large amount of money for it, not all the time im sure but chances im sure are better. Its unreal how many people around here have changed there views on reptiles since talking to me and meeting some of my animals. No one around here has even seen stuff like this except for on tv, and most people are scared or think there gross. the closest zoo around is about 500-600 kms from here (lol no we dont live in Igloos) so i think a reptile zoo would be very good for this area. Im curently leasing a section inside a pet shop here in timmins and they used to sell reptiles before i openned but they were always sick cause no one there anything about them, anyway the first 3 days i was open i sold more reptiles then they did in the 8 months prior. So people like this stuff and when they get to see them and interact with them they end up loving them and wanting to protect them.

anyways sorry for rambling on i just wanted to share some of my thoughts.........lucas

[Jeff Hathaway]

At present, and for the forseeable future, the province only regulates species which are native to Ontario. So if you intend to feature specially protected or game herps of Ontario (pretty close to all of our species), you will need a License to Keep Specially Protected and Game Reptiles and Amphibians in a Zoo. These aren't easy to get. Your odds would be better if you open your zoo and then later ask for a license to add native species, if you even want to have them.

There are no federal permits you need to worry about presently, but make sure that you have the appropriate paperwork for any species that have been imported, especially anything on CITES Appendix I.

Municipal animal by-laws vary too much for me to comment on your specific location, but it sounds like you have this under control already. However, municipalities also have zoning by-laws which regulate what uses a given land area can have, and many are VERY stringent. So you may be able to open a 'zoo' on a farm or rural lot, but not on an urban commercial lot, and undoubtably not on the average residential lot. You should really check very thoroughly into your zoning by-laws, and don't take the word of a clerk who says that it sounds fine to them. If they're wrong, it could cost you thousands of dollars later. Go to the municipal office, and sit down with a copy yourself and read it, especially the sections on permitted uses of whatever zone your lot falls under, and the definitions of what these permitted uses are.

No doubt the Timmins area could use a reptile zoo, but I'm not sure that there are enough people in the area to support one financially. It costs a lot of money to set up and operate one. Better do a pretty thorough analysis and business plan before starting to spend money on construction!

Maybe we'll be back in Timmins again next summer, and see how you're doing!

Cheers,

Jeff Hathaway
Sciensational Sssnakes!!

[katev17]

If anybody's lookin' for a zookeeper...

Hahahaha...

Sigh.

[timminsreptiles]

what do you mean by that kate?

[katev17]

I'm at school right now cuz I'm planning on working in a zoo when I get out... I just don't want to actually do the whole... school thing. I'd rather go out there and work, get experience, etc....

So I was just sayin' anyone who needs someone to work in their zoo, I'll do it! (Well... not necessarily. I'm half-joking, just because it's so hard to get a job in a zoo that's not like... concession.)

[timminsreptiles]

oh ok...lol...sorry...i was taking it the wrong way.