CHATHAM, Ont. - Premier Dalton McGuinty says the government will review its policies to see if Ontario should regulate the keeping of exotic animals like the tiger that killed its owner near London.
Norman Buwalda was killed Sunday when he entered a cage to feed his 300-kilogram Siberian tiger on his property in Southwold, Ont., southwest of London.
Activists warn fatal maulings will happen "again and again" if the province fails to bring in a licensing system for exotic animals.
However, McGuinty says he thinks it would "sensibly" be the exclusive responsibility of municipal bylaws to govern what animals can and cannot be kept in a community.
Speaking at an unrelated event in Chatham today, McGuinty offered his sympathies to Buwalda's family for the tragedy.
The World Society for the Protection of Animals says Buwalda's death could have been prevented had the province brought in a ban on keeping dangerous exotic pets.
It says a patchwork of local bylaws prohibiting exotic animals is inadequate and the province should step in and implement licensing.
