The law

Ontario’s Endangered Species Act, 2007 protects endangered or threatened species — animals and plants in decline and at risk of disappearing from the province.

You need to follow certain rules if you are a licensed trapper and you accidentally catch an endangered or threatened species in your trap.

Source law

This is a summary of the provincial laws. You can find a complete set of provincial rules related to this activity in:

This page is for informational purposes only. You should not rely on it to determine your legal obligations. To determine your legal obligations, consult the Endangered Species Act, 2007 and its regulations.

If you need legal advice, consult a legal professional. In the event of an error on this page or a conflict between this page and any applicable law, the law prevails.

The rules

You must:

  • be licenced to trap under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997
  • be trapping according to law
  • release an animal that is accidentally caught if it can survive in the wild
  • kill it humanely if it cannot survive in the wild

Animals that are killed

A furbearing mammal: you must get a licence to possess a pelt.

Not a furbearing mammal: you must register the killing promptly with the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Animals that could survive

You do not need to register or get a licence if:

  • you released the animal and
  • you thought it had a reasonable chance of survival in the wild

How to register

Learn how businesses and individuals can register regulated activities online that involve species at risk.

Licence to possess a pelt

Contact your local Ministry of Natural Resources office to get this licence, which would allow you to keep a pelt, under certain circumstances.

Find an MNRF district office

Furbearing mammals

These species are threatened or endangered:

  • badger (American)
  • fox (Grey)
  • polar bear
  • wolverine

Identify a species at risk

If you are unsure about a certain species — and would like help identifying or confirming what it is — you can see photos and get more information on the Endangered Species website.

Get more details about a species