Ontario has just taken the unfortunate title of the province with the weakest measures in place to regulate the zoo industry, with an advocacy group saying that pretty much "anyone" can now own a crude roadside zoo in the province.

World Animal Protection is imploring leaders to implement more stringent rules to ensure that animals in the province are not subject to the questionable conditions often found at these small zoo operations, which are more abundant in and around Toronto than many may realize.

While other parts of Canada require that people planning to open a zoo acquire a provincial license, hold a permit for native and/or non-native wildlife, and adhere to certain safety standards (among other things), Ontario has none of these laws in place.

As the charity said in a release on Tuesday, "In Ontario, you don’t need expertise, a reason or a licence to operate a zoo or buy dangerous animals like a tiger or lion."

World Animal Protection's scoring system shows that Ontario has the worst regulation of roadside zoos.

The organization referenced the many animal deaths and barbaric treatment at Ontario's often-protested Marineland, noting that the province has an estimated 30 or so roadside zoos — including very small backyard operations — that are not subject to the same rules or enforcement that they would be if they were located elsewhere in the country.

About half of municipalities in Ontario don't even have any bans on wild animal ownership whatsoever.

"Ontario has the largest number of roadside zoos in Canada, and yet no tracking of how many of these facilities exist or the types of animals they house," they state.

"This is despite thousands of wild, and often extremely dangerous animals being kept in these facilities for entertainment purposes in conditions that often put the animals and the public at risk."

Chief among the suggestions put forth by the experts yesterday are stronger and more consistent legislation that includes mandatory licensing and enforceable standards of animal care and public safety.