AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums undergo a thorough review that includes a detailed accreditation application as well as a multiple day on-site inspection by a team of experts from around the country. Learn more about how AZA Accreditation works.
September 2011 Accreditation Results
AZA is pleased to announce the results of the Accreditation Commission hearings held in September 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia.
AZA welcomes two new accredited members - the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska and the Lake Superior Zoo in Deluth, Minn.
Accredited for another cycle were African Safari Wildlife Park, Port Clinton, Ohio; Birmingham Zoo, Inc., Birmingham, Ala.; Brandywine Zoo, Wilmington, Del.; Buffalo Zoological Gardens, Buffalo, N.Y.; David Traylor Zoo of Emporia, Emporia, Kan.; Detroit Zoological Park, Royal Oak, Mich.; Elmwood Park Zoo, Norristown, Pa.; Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, West Yellowstone, Mo.; Jackson Zoological Park, Jackson, Miss.; Lee Richardson Zoo, Garden City, Kan.; Lincoln Children's Zoo, Lincoln, Neb.; Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden, Evansville, Ind.; Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Eatonville, Wash.; Parque Zoologico de Leon, Leon, Guanjuato, Mexico; Red River Zoo, Fargo, N.D.; Roger Williams Park Zoo, Providence, R.I.; Scovill Zoo, Decatur, Ill.; SeaWorld San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas; Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Vallejo, Calif.; Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, Holderness, N.H.; Trevor Zoo, Millbrook, N.Y.; Turtle Back Zoo, West Orange, N.J.; The Wilds, Cumberland, Ohio.
Certified for another cycle was the Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka, Mo.
Update: 2011 Accreditation Standards
The 2011 edition of the Accreditation Standards and Related Policies is now available.
For all other 2011 accreditation materials click here!
Animal Care Manuals
Accreditation standard 1.2.1 requires institutions to have copies of all approved AZA Animal Care Manuals (ACMs) for species within their collections, and to ensure that all animal care staff has access to them. For more information and a list of approved ACMs, click here.
Certified Related Facilities Definition Revised
The AZA membership and Board of Directors have approved revisions to the definition of the Certified Related Facilities membership category. With the approval finalized, the moratorium placed on the submission of new applications for this membership category has been lifted. Facilities wishing to submit an application for certification may do so at the next application deadline (March 1 or September 1).
The certification program is intended for those facilities that hold wildlife, but do not meet the definition of a zoological park or aquarium (below). Only facilities meeting the definition of a related facility (below) should apply for certification.
For the purposes of AZA's certification program, the Related Facility membership category is defined as: organizations holding wildlife that are not commercial entities, and are not open to the public on a regularly scheduled, predictable basis. The facility shall be under the direction of a professional staff trained in animal husbandry, and shall be further defined as having conservation and preservation as part of its mission--a mission that shall have a beneficial, tangible, supportive impact on the zoological and aquarium professions. This includes wildlife ranches, wildlife refuges or rehab centers, research facilities, survival centers, breeding farms, wildlife sanctuaries, and/or similar organizations.
For the purposes of AZA's accreditation program, a zoological park or aquarium is defined as: a permanent institution which owns and maintains wildlife, under the direction of a professional staff, provides its collection with appropriate care and exhibits them in an aesthetic manner to the public on a regular basis. The institution, division, or section shall further be defined as having as their primary mission the exhibition, conservation, and preservation of the earth's fauna in an educational and scientific manner.
Upcoming Reviews
We welcome your comments regarding the AZA members and prospective members under review for accreditation or certification at the next meeting of the AZA Accreditation Commission.
Accreditation Rack Cards for Visitors
Show your visitors what your AZA accreditation means! Download the Accreditation Rack Card.