PRESS RELEASES

Your Toronto Zoo joins the Illegal Plant Trade Coalition

In 2024 your Toronto Zoo proudly joined the Illegal Plant Trade Coalition (IPTC) as a Keystone Partner to support our mission of connecting people, animals, conservation science, and traditional knowledge to fight extinction. Being a leader in global conservation is of utmost importance and stands at the centre of the Zoo’s new Strategic Plan.

“We envision a world where people, wildlife, and wild spaces thrive” says Dolf DeJong, CEO, Toronto Zoo. “Earlier this year we released our 2025-2027 Guardians of Wild Strategic Plan which recognizes the importance of saving plant species to ensure a healthy natural ecosystem. Conservation is a team sport; no single organization can do this alone. By uniting zoos, botanic gardens, and conservation partners worldwide, we can change consumer behavior, support sustainable alternatives, and safeguard the plants that all wildlife — and all of us — depend on”.

The illegal trade in plants is a hidden global crisis. It drives biodiversity loss, disrupts ecosystems, undermines communities, and pushes endangered species closer to extinction. Illegal plant trade poses a serious threat to many popular species commonly seen in gardens and plant shops—such as orchids, succulents, cacti, and cycads. In the wild, these plants are often rare, slow-growing, and found in only a few locations, making them highly vulnerable to poaching - and in some cases, this trade has driven species to extinction in the wild.

Pictured: Confiscated succulents being cared for at the South Africa National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI)

Your Toronto Zoo is committed to taking a leadership role in addressing this challenge by raising awareness and addressing the misunderstanding that these transactions are happening in back alleys or underground markets. Many people unknowingly participate in illegal trade by purchasing plants through online buy and sell marketplaces, not realizing where these plants are coming from. By showcasing plants taken out of illegal trade circulation we can connect our guests to the impacts of illegal trade and highlight how we can all protect vulnerable species.

The Illegal Plant Trade Coalition is a global initiative coordinated by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) and a growing network of conservationists, botanic gardens, zoos, policy experts, horticulturalists, enforcement agencies and diverse individuals working together to address the silent crisis of illegal plant trafficking.

As a member of the Illegal Plant Trade Coalition, your Toronto Zoo will help promote messages through many chanels including the shared #ThinkTwiceTradeRight initiative, aiming to educate plant buyers, reduce demand for poached plants, and support sustainable trade alternatives.

About Toronto Zoo

The Toronto Zoo’s mission is to connect people, animals, conservation science, and traditional knowledge to fight extinction and our vision is a world where people, wildlife, and wild spaces thrive. An iconic tourist attraction and Conservation organization, the Toronto Zoo boasts a number of leading programs for helping wildlife and their natural habitats – from species reintroduction to reproductive research. A world-class educational centre for people of all ages, the Toronto Zoo is open every day including December 25 and attracts approximately 1.3 million guests each year.

Toronto Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The Zoo has also achieved the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) Certificate of Good Animal Practice® and is inspected by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).

About the Illegal Plant Trade Coalition (IPTC):

The IPTC is a global collaboration working to mitigate the illegal harvesting and trade of wild plants. Coordinated by BGCI, the Coalition supports evidence-based action, behavioural change interventions, and conservation outcomes for threatened flora. Learn more at BGCI - illegal-plant-trade.

About Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)

BGCI is an independent UK charity established in 1987 and the world’s largest plant conservation network, representing over 900 botanic garden members across more than 100 countries. As a global network for plant conservation, BGCI aims to support and empower its members and the wider conservation community to apply their knowledge and expertise to reversing the threat of plant extinctions. BGCI’s vision is a world in which plant diversity is valued, secure and supports all life.