Marineland guilty of charges over its care of three young black bears

Marineland has been found guilty under Ontario’s animal cruelty laws of three charges related to its care of three black bears.

A court found the Niagara Falls, Ont., tourist attraction guilty of failing to comply with three orders issued by the province’s Animal Welfare Services related to the living conditions of three young black bears.

An agreed statement of facts says Marineland kept the three young bears in cramped enclosures with no climbing structures or water features in June 2021.

Animal Welfare Services declared the bears in distress and gave the park a few months to vastly increase the size of the enclosures and give the animals access to a permanent source of water.

Court heard Marineland did not make any changes and eventually the Crown seized all three bears and moved them to sanctuaries.

Marineland did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Canadian Press