you

aquariums and zoos

ON THE COVER

While water covers about seventy percent of the Earth’s surface, only about two percent is fresh water, which

people share with a quarter of all the world’s vertebrates. Competition for this scarce resource means that

freshwater ecosystems and the animals that live in them are increasingly under threat. In the southeastern

United States, these habitats are also global biodiversity hotspots, home to more than a third of the country’s

freshwater fishes, including colorful fishes like minnows, darters, and the brook trout.

AZA-accredited aquariums and zoos are leaders in caring for freshwater animals and their ecosystems, while

offering visitors creative opportunities to understand and engage with these amazing animals. Innovative habitats

and well-trained staff create environments where freshwater fishes, turtles, mussels, and other animals thrive.

Visitors have intimate experiences with animals that cannot be matched by books, photographs or even movies.

By helping people develop an appreciation for and love of the freshwater ecosystems on which we all depend,

AZA-accredited aquariums help ensure future generations will be able to experience and learn about freshwater

species and their habitats.

Brook Trout © Todd Stailey, Tennessee Aquarium

Zoos and Aquariums & You is published by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), a nonprofit,

tax-exempt organization dedicated to the advancement of zoological parks and aquariums.

Copyright Policy: All items appearing in Zoos and Aquariums & You are copyright of the Association

of Zoos and Aquariums. Permission to reprint items must be obtained by contacting AZA’s

Publications Department at tlewthwaite@aza.org.

FPO

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2 Introduction

3 Education&You

11 Conservation&You

19 AnimalHealthandWelfare&You

25 AssociationofZoosandAquariums&You

31 EconomicImpactofZoosandAquariums&You

youzoos and aquariums

2

Foundedin1924,theAssociationofZoosandAquariums(AZA)isa501(c)3non-profitorganization

dedicatedtotheadvancementofzoosandaquariumsintheareasofconservation,education,

science,andrecreation.AZA-accreditedzoosandaquariumsenhancelocalandregionaleconomies,

collectivelygeneratingmorethan$21billioninannualeconomicactivityandsupportingmore

than204,000jobs.

AZAistheindependentaccreditingorganizationforthebestzoosandaquariumsinAmerica

andtheworld,assuringthepublicthatwhentheyvisitanAZA-accreditedfacilitythatitmeets

thehigheststandards.ThepeopleatAZA-accreditedzoosandaquariumsarehighly-trained

professionalsprovidingexcellentcareformorethan800,000animals,makingthemtheleading

expertsincareandanimalwelfare.Lessthan10percentofthe2,800wildlifeexhibitorslicensed

bytheUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgricultureundertheAnimalWelfareActmeetthemore

comprehensivestandardsofAZAaccreditation.LookingfortheAZAlogoistheeasiest,most

reliablewayforpeopletochoosezoosandaquariumsthatmeetrigorousaccreditation

standardsforanimalcare,safety,conservation,educationandmore.

AZArepresentsmorethan200institutionsintheUnitedStatesandoverseas,whichcollectively

drawmorethan182millionvisitorseveryyear.Theseinstitutionsmeetthehigheststandardsin

animalcareandprovideafun,safe,andeducationalfamilyexperience.Inaddition,theydedicate

millionsofdollarstosupportscientificresearch,conservation,andeducationprograms.Everyyear,

AZA-accreditedzoosandaquariumsspend$160milliononfieldconservationalone,supporting

morethan2,600projectsin130countries.

AZA-accreditedzoosandaquariumsareleadersintheprotectionofthreatenedandendangered

species.TheAZASpeciesSurvivalPlan®(SSP)Programisacooperativeanimalmanagement,

breeding,andconservationeffortadministeredbytheAssociation.Thisprogramconvenesexperts

inanimalcare,welfare,andconservationwhoworktowardmaintaininggeneticallydiverse,self-

sustainingpopulationsofmorethan500speciesofanimals.Programparticipantscooperateon

conservationeducationinitiatives,animalhealthresearch,wildlifereintroductions,andsupport

fieldconservationeffortstohelpensurelong-termspeciessurvival.

Ascentersforconservationinvolvement,AZA-accreditedzoosandaquariumsprovidethepublic

withessentialconnectionstothenaturalworld.Morethan50millionvisitorstoAZA-accredited

zoosandaquariumsarechildren,makingaccreditedzoosandaquariumsessentialtoscienceand

environmentaleducation.AZA-accreditedfacilitiestrain40,000teacherseveryyear,supporting

statesciencecurriculawithteachingmaterialsandhands-onopportunitiesforstudentswho

mightotherwisehavenofirst-handexperiencewithwildlife.Infact,thereisgrowingevidencethat

aquariumsandzoosarehighlyeffectiveatteachingpeopleaboutscienceandconnectingthem

tothenaturalworld.

INTRODUCTION

XEDUCATION

youEDUCATION

4

Connecting Communities to Each Other, to Wildlife, and to Wild Places

Whatdoyouremembermostvividly

aboutyourlasttriptoanaquariumor

zoo?Ifyouhavetroublerecallingthelast

timeyouvisited,thenitishightimeto

planatriptoyourlocalAssociationof

ZoosandAquariums(AZA)-accredited

zoooraquarium.Ifyoudohavearecent

memory,itmightinvolveaninteresting

animalbehavioryouobserved,aunique

factyoulearnedfromanexhibitor

interpreter,anewperspectiveonways

youcansupportconservationaction,or

simplyafunexperiencewiththe

membersofyourgroup.Whileaquariums

andzoosarestructuredtoprovide

excitingopportunitiestoconnectwith

wildanimalsinasafesetting,theyoffer

muchmorethanthatinthewayof

connections.

AZA-accreditedaquariumsandzoos

connectpeoplewithwildlifeinmultiple

ways.Nowhereelsecanyouobserve

exoticanimalssoclosely,exhibiting

naturalbehaviorsinnaturalisticsettings.

Seeinganimalsinthisintimatewayis

alwaysathrill.Whetheritisafemale

giraffegentlyguidinghercalftofeed,or

aseaotterplayfullychasinghisbrother,

theopportunitiestowatchwildlifein

actioninthezooandaquariumsetting

areunparalleled.Trainededucatorsand

interpretersutilizethesemomentsof

wonderandexcitementtoadvance

visitors’understandingofbiology,

conservation,andtheenvironment.

Aquariumsandzoosnotonlyofferthe

opportunitytoconnectwithanimalsat

theirparks,butalsothroughconservation

projectsthatencouragelocalcommunity

involvementinactionthatsupportsthe

habitatsandanimalswherewelive.

Educationisamajorcomponentofthese

projects,sharingperspectivesonwayswe

canlivecooperativelywithwildlife,utilize

resourceswisely,andsuccessfully

integrateconservationpracticesintoour

dailylives.Inthisway,aquariumsand

zooshelpmakevitalconnectionsamong

peopleofmanyculturesand

communities.

Duringazoooraquariumvisit,

connectionsarealsomadeamongpeople.

Whetheryouarevisitingwithapartner,

Photo©PhoenixZoo

EDUCATION 5

Astheaquariumcurator,Iamresponsibleforthecareandwell-beingofthe

aquaticanimalsthatliveinoneoftheworld’slargestaquariums—TheSeaswith

Nemo&Friends,whichislocatedatEpcotattheWaltDisneyWorldResort.

Supervisingtheday-to-daycareofover10,000aquaticanimalsisademanding

task,andwearefortunatetohaveateamofanimalcarespecialists,veterinarians,

andwaterscientiststhatisdedicatedtoprovidingthebestpossiblecare.Located

inCentralFlorida,weareveryinvolvedwithmanateeandseaturtlerescueand

rehabilitation.IamcurrentlyservingasthechairoftheManateeRehabilitation

Partnership,andweareworkingwithover15organizationsandgovernment

agenciestohelpmanateesrecover.Ouranimalcareteamalsohasnursedmore

than300endangeredseaturtlesbacktohealthandreturnedthemtothesea.

Inmyworkandtravels,Ihavelearnedthatallofushaveanopportunitytoeducate

peopleaboutourbeautifulworld.

AppointedtotheFloridaOceansandCoastalResearchandResourcesCouncilin

2005,and,in2007,tothefederalOceanResearchandAdvisoryPanel(ORAP),

Ibecamefocusedonthepublic’sunderstandingofouroceans.AsIlistenedto

manyofournation’sgreatoceanscientists,Iaskedmyself,howdowegetpeople

tocareaboutprotectingthefragileocean?Iwasconvincedthatweneedtohave

greateducationalprogrammingaimedatmanyaudiences.Wehavewrittenan

ORAPEducationstrategythatwehopewillbeusedbytheNationalOceanCouncil

tobuildanationofcaringoceanconservationists.Weallhaveanimportant

opportunitytoprotectthenaturalworldwelivein.

AZA VOICES

Jane Davis AQUARIUM CURATOR

Walt Disney World, Animals, Science and Environment at

The Seas with Nemo and Friends

sharingtheexperiencewithrelatives

fromoutoftown,orbringingthekids

andtheirfriendsalong,bondsaremade

aroundthesharedexperienceof

observingwildlifetogether.Jointefforts

arerewardedwhenpeopleworktogether

tospotananimalhidinginanexhibitand

thereisasenseoftogethernesswhen

readingexhibitgraphicsanddiscovering

newknowledgetosharewiththeother

membersofthegroup.Onewaytomake

aspecialconnectionduringyourvisitis

totalkwithzooandaquariumstaff.

EducatorsatAZA-accreditedfacilities,

bothstaffandvolunteers,aretrainedto

helpvisitorsmakeconnectionswiththe

incredibleresourcesfoundthere.Itisa

skillknownasinterpretation—a

communicationprocessthatbuilds

intellectualandemotionalconnections

betweenthethingspeoplearecurious

aboutandthegreatersignificanceof

thosethings.Thezookeepers,aquarists,

andcuratorsworkingwiththeanimals

arealsokeentosharetheirworkwiththe

publicandtorelatewhattheydo

totheirenthusiasmforanimals.People

areinvitedtoaskthemquestions,hear

theirstories,andmakethempartof

thelearningexperience.

Thelearningthatoccursinaquariumsand

zoosisprovingtobemoresignificant

thanpreviouslybelieved.Infact,mostof

thesciencepeopleknowtheylearn

outsidetheclassroom.Wheredoesthis

sciencelearningoccur?Intherichly

intriguingexhibitsandprogramsof

aquariums,zoos,sciencemuseums,and

naturecentersthataboundwith

opportunitiesforpeopletolearn

informally.Thesearesettingswhere

naturalcuriosityfosterslearningthatis

self-motivated—wonderabouthowan

octopuscansolvethepuzzleof

unscrewingajarcovertogetthefood

inside,howfishswimsoclosetogether

withouttouching,howanorangutancan

useaniPadtoplayagame,andwhy

healthyfrogpopulationsarevitalto

humanhealth.Whetherunstructured,

self-guided,oraspartofaneducational

program,theinformationassembledfrom

theselearningexperiencescontributes

substantiallytotheoveralleducation

peopleacquireintheirlifetimes.Informal

learningenvironmentslikeaquariumsand

zoosareplaceswherecriticalneural

Photo©WaltDisneyWorld

6

Connecting Communities to Each Other, to Wildlife, and to Wild Places —continued

PointDefianceZoo&AquariuminTacoma,Wash.,anditssurrounding700acrePoint

DefianceParkarethesettingoftheScienceandMathInstitute(SAMI),aTacomapublic

highschool.ThepartnershipbetweenSAMIandtheZooaffordsunparalleledscience

learningopportunitiesforstudentsutilizingtheZoo’sdiverselivingcollectionand

accessingthePark’snaturalresources.Studentsengageinwide-ranginginterdisciplinary

courseworkincludingexplorationsofmathbycalculatingthenutritionalneedsofpolar

bearsandinvestigationsofbiologybyconductingsmallmammalsurveysofthepark.

Studentsalsodevelopzooanimalbehavioralresearchprojectsandengageinmarine

sciencelearningbymeetingsharksface-to-faceandaddressingseafoodsustainability.

Close-upstudyofraptorsandreptilesandspecialpresentationsbyanimalcarestaff

membersfacilitateartandwritingprojects.

Perhapsthemostvaluableaspectofthispartnershipistheopportunityafforded

studentstoparticipateinprojectsinPointDefianceParkandtheZoothatprovide

hands-onlearning.Theseprojects,incitizenscience,environmentalrestoration,andthe

biologicalsciences,engagestudentsinlearningwhileallowingthemtomakesignificant

contributionstotheircommunity.StudentshaveparticipatedinthePark’sBioBlitzspecies

inventoryevent,turfconversionprojects,andmanyothercommunityserviceprojectsas

partoftheirSAMIexperience.

TheZoo’spartnershipwithSAMIcoincidescompletelywithPointDefianceZooand

Aquarium’svaluesofprovidingeducationalexperiencesthatconnectpeopletonature,

fosteringanethicofenvironmentalresponsibilitywhileenrichingourcommunity.

PARTNERSHIP WITH TACOMA’S SCIENCE AND MATH INSTITUTE

connectionsareforged,increasingour

abilitytoidentifypatterns,analyzedata,

andsolveproblems.

Oneareaofeducationwherezoosand

aquariumsexcelisenvironmental

education.Asenvironmentaleducation

becomesmoreintegratedintoscience

educationstandards,aquariumsandzoos

areassumingalargerroleinformal

education.AZA-accreditedfacilities

functionasintegralintersectionsbetween

formalandinformallearning,fostering

strongconnectionswithlocalschool

districtsandstatecurricula.

Inaworldwherefindingwaystoengage

directlywithnaturecanbechallenging,

zoosandaquariumsalsoprovide

intriguingwaystoconnectwiththe

naturalenvironment.MostAZA-

accreditedfacilitiesofferrefugefrom

urbanenvironmentsandeasyaccessto

elementsofnaturethatimproveour

well-being.Thedisconnectfromnature

thataffectsyouthnationwidecanbe

combattedbyearlyandfrequent

exposuretounstructuredoutdoorplayin

anaturalsetting,withadultrolemodels

whoinstilladesiretovalueandnurture

thoseplaces.Aquariumsandzoosare

safeplacesforchildrentoplayand

explorethenaturalworld,tolearnfrom

trainededucatorshowtointeract

responsiblywiththeenvironment,tohave

fun,getexercise,andtoestablish

valuable,life-longconnectionswith

animalsandtheirhabitats.

Photo©TacomaPublicSchoolsPhoto©HoustonZoo

EDUCATION 7

ANIMALS: Cute and Fun SCIENCE: Difficult and Boring

How do you use the first assumption to

dispel the second?

Mostyouth—andplentyofadults—are

undertheimpressionthatscienceis

inherentlychallengingandtedious.

Yettheyinsistthatanimals,especially

animalsinteractingwitheachotherand

theirenvironments,arefascinatingand

enjoyabletostudy.Chicago’sLincolnPark

Zooisactivelydispellingthenotionthat

scienceisdifficultandboringbyinvolving

youthinscienceprogramsthatgivethem

accesstoaveryinterestingcollectionof

animalsandthemotivationtowantto

learnmoreaboutthem.

LincolnParkZoo’sawardwinningYoung

ResearchersCollaborativeprogram

engagesapproximately1,000urban

youtheachyearinoriginalresearch

projectsonanimalbehavior.The

programhelpsChicagomiddleschool

studentslearnmoreaboutcareersin

science,demonstrateshowthescience

inquiryskillstheylearnintheclassroom

connecttoreal-worldconservationwork,

andbuildsindependentworkskillsas

theyselecttopicsoftheirchoicefor

investigation.Proventobeasuccessful

programinChicago,theZoowaseager

tosharetheopportunitywithyouth

beyondthecitylimits.

Afterarigorousapplicationprocessin

Mayof2011,LincolnParkZooreceiveda

MuseumsConnectgrantintheamount

of$95,000fromtheAmericanAlliance

ofMuseumsandtheU.S.Departmentof

State’sBureauofEducationalandCultural

Affairs.ThegrantallowedtheZooto

launchtheCommunityofConservation

program,apartnershipbetweenthe

ZooandtheNationalMuseumofNiger

focusedonengagingyouthinanimal

behaviorstudiestobetterunderstand

theirownnativewildlifeaswellasthe

wildlifeoftheirinternationalpeers.

Theprogramledtoincreased

understandingoftheworkofresearchers

byyouthinbothcountriesaswellas

anincreaseinknowledgeaboutlocal

ecology.Everyoneinvolvedgaineda

greaterunderstandingforeachother’s

culture,suchacriticalpiecetoglobal

understandingbetweentwovery

differentregionsoftheworld.Whenthe

grantcametoaclose,theZoowaseager

todetermineifthislearningmodelcould

bereplicatedandusedtoengageyouth

fromaroundtheworldinanimalbehavior

studies.Atthetime,therewasnofunding

availabletopursuethisinvestigation,but

Photo©LincolnParkZoo

8

LincolnParkZoo’sanimal

behavioriPadApp.

StudentsatLincolnParkZoousingtheiPadanimalbehaviorApp.Photo©LincolnParkZoo

LincolnParkZooeducatorshadnoidea

howquicklythissituationwouldchange.

InOctober2012,theZooreceivedan

extraordinaryleadershipgiftofthree

milliondollarstolaunchanewlearning

center.TheHurvisCenterforLearning

InnovationandCollaborationwill

explorenewprogrammingmodelsand

innovativemethodsofconnectingwith

audiencestobetterunderstandhowzoos

andmuseumscaneducateandinspire

communitiesinscienceandconservation

learning.Thefirstinitiativelaunchedwas

basedonamodelofgloballearningthat

engagesyouthinanimalbehaviorstudies

whiletappingintonewtechnology.At

thecoreoftheprogramisaspecially

designed,freeiPadAppthatallows

peopletoconductoriginalstudiesof

animalbehaviorusingdatacollectionand

analysistechnologysimilartothatused

byresearchers.TheAppisavailablein

theiPadstoreandcanbeusedbyzoos,

aquariumsandmuseumsthatarelooking

fortechnologytosupporttheirnewor

existingprogramsinanimalbehavior;

studentstacklinganindependent

studyproject,ortermpaper;andeven

individualswithaninterestinanimals.

TheAppisalsoavailableinSpanish.

ThroughprogramsliketheYoung

ResearchersCollaborativeand

CommunityofConservation,alongwith

excitingadvancesemergingfromthenew

HurvisCenterforLearningInnovation

andCollaboration,LincolnParkZoois

capitalizingonthepopularityofanimals

todispeltheassumptionthatscience

isdifficultanddull.Bydeveloping

innovativetoolsthatengageordinary

peopleinscienceresearchandproviding

opportunitiesforyouthtocontributeina

meaningfulwaytowildlifeconservation,

LincolnParkZooisoneexampleofhow

AZA-accreditedfacilitiesnationwideare

preparingthenextgenerationto

becomescienceleaders.

LincolnParkZooiscommittedto

providingthehighestqualityinanimal

care,conservationandscience,and

Animals: Cute and Fun Science: Difficult and Boring —continued

educationprograms.TheHurvisCenter

ispoisedtoaddressthegrowingneed

withinthezoo,museumandaquarium

communitytoexplorenewapproaches

toengagevisitorsinsciencelearning.

Collaborationwithcolleaguesacrossthe

zooandmuseumcommunityisacritical

partofthecenter’smissionandLincoln

ParkZooinvitesindividuals,schoolsor

culturalinstitutionsinterestedinlearning

moreaboutHurvisCenterprogramsto

visitthecenter’swebsiteatwww.lpzoo.

org/Hurvis-Centerormakedirectcontact

atHurvisCenter@lpzoo.org.

Dr. Leah MelberistheSeniorDirectorofthe

HurvisCenterforLearningInnovationand

CollaborationatLincolnParkZoo

Rachel BergrenwasVicePresidentofEducation

atLincolnParkZoo

Allison PriceisDirectorofEducationat

LincolnParkZoo

EDUCATION 9

AZA VOICES

Ihelpourcompanylookafteroureducationand

conservationefforts.Educationandconservationiscentral

tothecharacterofourcompanyandisintegratedinnearly

allfacetsofourorganization.Ihelptoensurewegrowthe

company’scommitmenttoconnectingpeoplewithanimals

toinspirethemtoconservewildlifeandwildplaces.

Youthtodayhaveincrediblecompetitionfortheir

time.Higherexpectationsintheclassroom,increasing

participationinextracurricularactivitiesandanearly

instantaneousaccesstoinformationandentertainment

oftenleadstolessinterestandimportancebeingplaceon

nature-basedexperiences.Previousgenerationssimply

spentmoretimeoutdoors,andthushadastronger

understandingandconnectiontoit.Today’syouthdon’t

spendenoughtimeinunstructuredplayoutdoors,andI

believethatsoftenstheirconservationethic.Ibelieveit’s

importantthatzoosandaquariumseducateandinspire

youthtoconserveournaturalworld.

Iamveryinterestedinthefutureofzoosandaquariums

andhowtheyadapttochangesinsociety.Iamactive

intheAssociationofZoosandAquariums’Trends

CommitteeandIamaboardmemberontheInternational

ZooEducatorsAssociation.Ivisitzoosandaquariums

worldwidetoidentifynewprogramstosharewithinthe

zoologicalcommunity.Ihavealsobeenworkingtobetter

understandourguestsinordertoencouragethemto

behaveinwaysthatarebeneficialtotheenvironment.

Bill Street

CORPORATE CURATOR OF CONSERVATION AND EDUCATION

SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment

BillStreetteachingstudentsaboutinvasiveBurmesepythons,penguins,andstingrays.

Photos©SeaWorldParksandEntertainment.

10

Programs for Students and Teachers:

• 12millionstudents(Pre-KthroughGrade12)visit

AZA-accreditedzoosandaquariumseachyearas

partofaschoolfieldtrip

• 11millionstudentsparticipateinformalon-site

educationprogramseachyear

• 4millionstudentsparticipateinformaloff-site

educationprogramseveryyear

• AZA–accreditedzoosandaquariumsconducttraining

for40,000teachersannually

Community Resources for Diverse Audiences:

• 100%ofAZA-accreditedzoosandaquariumshave

aneducatoronstaffandawell-developededucation

programgearedtowardtheneedsoftheircommunities

• 82%ofAZA-accreditedzoosandaquariumsoffer

programsforunderservedaudiencesincluding

individualswithspecialneeds,minorities,andthe

economicallydisadvantaged

• 94%percentofAZA-accreditedzoosandaquariums

offerearlychildhood(Pre-K)programming

• 87%ofAZA-accreditedzoosandaquariumsinvolve

students/teensinvolunteerprograms

• OnethirdofAZA-accreditedzoosandaquariums

offerafterschoolprogramming

• 15%ofAZAmemberinstitutionsconductdistance

learningprograms

Working With Federal, State and Local Education Agencies:

• OnefourthofAZA-accreditedzoosandaquariums

arecollaboratingoninitiativesandprojectswith

statedepartmentsofeducationorwiththeU.S.

DepartmentofEducation

• AZA-accreditedzoosandaquariumswhoseschool

programs/materialsarealignedwith:

•Stateeducationstandards–97%

•Localeducationstandards–86%

• 27%ofAZA-accreditedzoosandaquariumshave

beeninvolvedinthedevelopmentoftheirstate’s

EnvironmentalLiteracyPlan

Visitwww.aza.orgformoreinformation

Accredited Zoos and Aquariums: Key Partners in Education

Photo©HoustonZoo

XEDUCATION

youCONSERVATION

12

ConservationisapriorityforAZA-

accreditedinstitutionsandisakey

componentoftheirmissions.Whether

savingspeciesonthebrinkofextinction

orensuringspeciesneverreachsucha

precariousstate,Americanscantrustthat

AZA-accreditedzoosandaquariumsare

workinghardtoprotectwildlifeandwild

habitatforfuturegenerationstoenjoy.

Zoosandaquariumsaccreditedbythe

AssociationofZoosandAquariums

(AZA)serveasconservationcentersthat

areconcernedaboutecosystemhealth,

takeresponsibilityforspeciessurvival,

contributetoresearch,conservation,

andeducation,andprovidesocietythe

opportunitytodeveloppersonal

connectionswiththeanimalsintheir

care.Theseinstitutionsplayavitalrole

inmaintainingourplanet’sdiverse

wildlifeandnaturalhabitatswhile

engagingthepublictoappreciateand

participateinconservation.

Species Recovery

Zoosandaquariumshavelongbeen

seenasimportantcontributorstospecies

recovery.Sincethe1960s,iconicanimals

worldwidehavebeenidentifiedas

endangered—orevenextinctinthewild—

andtheirreproductioninzoosand

aquariumsoverthedecadeshashelped

recoverandsupporttheirpopulationsin

thewild.Forexample,theArabianoryx

intheArabianPeninsulaandthe

Przewalski’shorseinnorthwesternChina

werebothidentifiedasextinctinthe

wildbutnow,dueinparttotheefforts

ofAZA-accreditedzoos,bothhavebeen

down-listedbytheInternationalUnionfor

theConservationofNatureasVulnerable

andEndangered,respectively.

Speciesrecoveryisaglobalendeavor

thatincludesworkinourown

communities.Itisthanksinlargepartto

AZA-accreditedzoosandaquariums

thattheUnitedStatescanstillproudly

claimtheAmericanburyingbeetle,

WyomingandPuertoRicancrestedtoads,

black-footedferrets,Californiacondors,

Leaders in Conservation

redwolves,andmanyotheranimals

amongitslivingwildlifeheritage.

Field Conservation

AZA-accreditedzoosandaquariumsdo

muchmorethansavespeciesonthebrink

ofextinction.Theyalsomakesubstantial

contributionstowardscoordinating,

participating,orsupportingconservation

projectsthatdirectlycontributetoall

typesoffieldwork,provideveterinary

andrehabilitationcareinthefaceof

wildlifediseaseandinjury,conductboth

labandfieldresearchonwaystoprotect

speciesorecosystemsinthewild,and

createopportunitiestoincrease

conservationawareness,advocacy,action,

capacityandfundraising.Eachyear,

AZApublishesanAnnualReporton

ConservationScience(ARCS)toillustrate

theconservationactivitiesofaccredited

zoosandaquariums.Recentreportshave

focusedexclusivelyonthoseprojects

thatdirectlyimpactedanimalsinthewild

andhavefoundthatAZAmember

institutionsspendmorethan$160million

eachyearontheseprojectsandworkin

morethan130countries.Readabout

theconservationprojectsofthe

accreditedzoooraquariumnearyou

atwww.aza.org/annual-report-on-

conservation-and-science.

Sustainable Practices

Habitatlossanddegradationresulting

frompollution,over-exploitation,invasive

Madagascarboastsamphibiandiversityfoundnowhereelseontheplanet.TheAssociationofZoos

andAquariums’(AZA)ConservationEndowmentFund(CEF)providedinitialfundingtoconstruct

abiosecurefacilityinAndasibe,east-centralMadagascar,toensurethelong-termconservation

ofthecountry’samphibiandiversity.Todaythebuildinghousesagrowinglivingamphibian

collection,spaceforculturinglocalfeederinsectspecies,andaquarantineroom.Itislocatedin

theAnalamazaotraReserve,managedbythecommunity-basedorganizationAssociationMitsinjo,

andprovidesavenuefortrainingthenextgenerationofMalagasyamphibianbiologists.

Boophis erythrodactylus©DevinEdmonds

13CONSERVATION

AsaBrevardZooconservationstaffmember,collaboratingwithavarietyof

publicandprivatepartners,Ihaveoverseenthetranslocationof11familiesof

Floridascrub-jaysfrommarginalurbanenvironmentsslatedforpublicprojects

torestoredandmanagedpubliclandsinBrevardCounty.Translocation

effortswillbenefitalargenumberofFloridascrub-jayindividualsand

providevaluableinformationtoallinvolvedwiththeproject.Floridascrub-jay

translocationeffortsonpropertyopentothepublicprovidethecommunity

withanopportunitytoseeandbeactivelyinvolvedinthemanagementof

athreatenedendemicspecies.ThisraisestheprofileoftheFloridascrub-

jayandotherspeciesandalsogrowscommunityinterest,participation,and

encouragesthecommunitytotakeownershipinbiologicalconservation.

TheFloridascrub-jayfamilieswrittenoffbyincidentaltakepermitshavean

increasedchanceofsurvivalifmovedtoconservationlandswithoptimalscrub

habitatandmanagedwithperiodicfireandmechanicalreduction.

TheFloridascrub-jayisoftenviewedasanumbrellaspeciesforscrubhabitats.

HealthyFloridascrub-jaypopulationswillbenefitavarietyofspeciesincluding

theFloridamouse,gophertortoise,gopherfrog,scrublizardandindigosnake.

AZA VOICES

Michelle Smurl DIRECTOR OF ANIMAL AND CONSERVATION PROGRAMS

Brevard Zoo, Florida

Photos©BrevardZoo

species,andclimatechangearesome

ofthemostsignificantthreatsfacing

wildlifeworldwide.Responsibleresource

conservationcanlessenthesethreatsand

AZA-accreditedzoosandaquariumsare

takingaleadingroleinconservingthe

naturalresourcesutilizedintheirbusiness

operations.Sustainablepracticesare

implementedtoreducewaterandenergy

usage,decreasewastegeneration,and

encouragethegenerationandpurchase

ofgreenproductsandrenewableenergy.

Fromdevelopingwaterfiltrationsystems

inaquaticexhibitsthatsavewater;

installingbothsmallandextensivesolar

panelarrays;designingandbuilding

innovativewaste-to-energysystems;

receivingISO14001certificationfor

designingandimplementingeffective

environmentalmanagementsystemsand

theU.S.GreenBuildingCouncil’sLEED

certificationsforbuildingsand

construction;toworkingwithvisitors,

restaurants,andvendorstooffer

sustainablefoodoptions,AZA-accredited

zoosandaquariumsareinspirational

publicexamplesofputtingconservation

talkintodailyoperations.

Scientific Research

Scientificresearchisatrademarkof

themodernzooandaquarium.AZA-

accreditedzoosandaquariumsconduct

orfacilitateresearchinvestigationsto

mitigatehuman-wildlifeconflict,improve

reintroductionmethodologies,develop

newtoolsformonitoringanimalsinthe

wild,examinediseasetransmission

betweendomesticandwildanimals,

testbird-friendlyoptionsforzooand

aquariumconstruction,andmore.

Researchconductedataccredited

zoosandaquariumsinareassuchas

sensorybiology,physiology,nutrition,

reproduction,andcognitionhasincreased

ourunderstandingofthespeciesbeing

investigatedandprovidesresultswhich

maybeappliedtobenefitthehealthof

animalsinwildpopulations.Inorderfor

conservationactivitiestoachievetheir

intendedoutcomes,AZA-accredited

zoosandaquariumsrelyonresearch

andscience.

Partnering for Conservation

AZA-accreditedzoosandaquariums

partnerwiththefederalagencies,

14

OperationOryxbeganinthe1960sasalast-ditchefforttosave

theArabianoryxfromextinction.Severalofthelastremaining

animalswerebroughtintomanagedcareatthePhoenixZoo

inPhoenix,Ariz.In1978,theZooworkedwiththeJordanian

governmentandnumerousconservationorganizationstotransfer

oryxfromPhoenixtotheShaumariWildlifeReservenearAzraq,

Jordan.NowrunbytheRoyalSocietyfortheConservation

ofNature(RSCN),ShaumariisdedicatedtoArabianoryx

conservationandreintroduction.

SeveralyearsagoShaumariwasclosedtothepublicfor

re-development.Ateamofexpertsincludingrepresentatives

fromtheArizona-SonoraDesertMuseumandSanDiegoZoo

Globalconductedanassessmentofthereserve’sneeds.Highest

prioritieswereaveterinaryassessmentofthereserve’sanimals

andadditionalstafftraining.

Asaresult,stafffromthePhoenixZootraveledtoJordanin2010

toassisttheRSCNinevaluatingthehealthofShaumari’sherds.

TheZoohashostedthereservemanagerfortraininginArizona

andoneoftheZoo’sveterinariansreturnedtoJordanin2011to

provideadditionalassistance.PhoenixZooandRSCNstaffare

currentlyfinalizingaMemorandumofUnderstandingandplans

foradditionalcollaborations,allowingtheZootocontinueto

contributetotherecoveryofthisremarkablespecies.

Ruth AllardistheExecutiveVicePresident,ConservationandVisitor

Experiences,PhoenixZoo

Photo©PhoenixZoo

THE PHOENIX ZOO & OPERATION ORYX

Leaders in Conservation —continued

internationalnon-governmental

organizations,localcommunitiesand

eachotheronsophisticated

conservationandresearchprograms,

bothinzoosandaquariumsaswellasin

thefield,toachievesuccessfuloutcomes

forwildlife.AZAfostersthese

collaborativeeffortstoadvanceanimal

conservationinitiativesandstrategies

bymakinganabundanceofresources

available,includingeducational

information,planningtoolsandguides,

databases,fundingsources,andawards.

TheseincludepopularitemslikeAZA’s

GreenGuideandGuidelinestoDevelop

anInstitutionalConservationStrategic

Plan,aswellasAZA’sSmartSource,a

nationalpurchasingcooperative

designedandmanagedexclusivelyfor

thebenefitofAZAmemberzoos,

aquariumsandrelatedfacilitiesthat

includesamajorfocusongreeninitiatives

andsustainability.TwoofAZA’smost

prestigiousprogramstosupport

members’conservationinitiativesareits

annualawardsandtheConservation

EndowmentFund.

Awards

Everyyear,AZArecognizesexceptional

effortsbyAZA-accreditedzoosand

aquariums,relatedfacilities,and

conservationpartnerstowardhabitat

preservation,speciesrestoration,and

supportofbiodiversitythroughits

InternationalandNorthAmerican

ConservationAwards.AZAalso

recognizesprogramstoreducethe

environmentalimpactofbusiness

operationsthroughitsGreenAward.

Winnersoftheseawardscanbefound

onAZA’swebsite:www.aza.org/

honors-awards.

Conservation Endowment Fund

FromreintroducingSiamesecrocodiles

inCambodiatostudyingthecritically

endangeredHirolainKenya,andfrom

workingwiththeNorthernCheyenne

Reservationtoengageyouthinblack-

footedferretrecoverytodeveloping

laboratorytechniquestocollectmarine

fisheggsandrearfishlarvae,AZA’s

ConservationEndowmentFund(CEF)

providescriticalsupportforthe

cooperativeconservationinitiatives

ofconservationistsandresearchers

inAZA-accreditedinstitutionsand

theirpartners.

Sinceitsinceptionin1991,theCEFhas

providedover$5.7milliondollarsto

morethan320conservationprojectsin

over55countriesandthroughoutthe

UnitedStates.CEFgrantsareawarded

insixcategories:animalhealth,animal

welfare,conservationeducation,field

conservation,managementand/or

breeding,andresearch.

SupportfortheCEFcomesalmost

exclusivelyfromAZAmembers,including

individuals,AZA-accreditedinstitutions,

andAZAcommercialmembers.Since

1999,theWaltDisneyWorldCompany

andtheDisneyWorldwideConservation

Fundhaveprovidedsignificantfinancial

supporttotheCEF,increasingthefunds

availableforAZAmembers’highquality

conservationprojectsbymorethana

third.Learnmoreabouttheprojects

supportedbytheCEFordonatetothe

fundatwww.aza.org/cef/.

15

BREWING FOR BUTTERFLIES

OregonSilverspotbutterfliesonceflourishedincoastalgrasslands

fromWashingtontoCalifornia.Duetohabitatloss,thisthreatened

butterflyisnowfoundonlyinahandfulofprotectedareas.Oregon

Silverspotbutterfliesdependonauniqueecosystemofcoastal

grasslands,withcaterpillarsfeedingonvioletleavesandbutterflies

drinkingthenectaroffloweringplants.Acollaborativehabitat

restorationandreintroductionprogramishelpingtoincrease

thisbutterflypopulation.Throughthiseffort,staffandvolunteers

atWoodlandParkZooinSeattle,Wash.,andtheOregonZooin

Portland,Ore.,rearthebutterfliesinthezoosfromtheeggtopupa

orchrysalisstage,releasingthemintothewildtoaugmentthe

population.Atthefirstreleasein2000,191pupaewerereleased

atonesite.Fromthosepupae,107butterflieseclosedandwere

released.Since2008over10,000pupaehavebeenreleasedatthree

sites.Thankstotheseefforts,therearenowhealthypopulationsof

butterfliesatsiteswherealmostnonewerefoundafewyearsago.

In2012,auniquecollaborationbetweentheWoodlandParkZoo,

OregonSilverspotButterflyRecoveryteamandacoastaleatery,

thePelicanPubandBreweryresultedinSilverspotIPA,abeer

brewedandsoldbythePelicantohelpraiseawarenessofthe

butterfly.“Drinkabeer,saveabutterfly!”Aportionoftheproceeds

fromthesaleofthisbeerhelpfundconservationeffortsforthe

OregonSilverspotButterfly.

Erin SullivanistheCollectionManageratWoodlandParkZoo.

Photos©WoodlandZoo

ATTWATER’S PRAIRIE-CHICKEN

Attwater’sprairie-chickenoriginallyrangedthroughoutcoastalTexas

andsouthwesternLouisiana,butisnowrestrictedtoasmallband

ofhabitatalongtheTexascoast.Estimatedtonumberperhapsas

manyasonemillionbirdshistorically,thesubspecieswasreducedto

lessthan50individualsinthreeisolatedareasby1996.In1992the

U.S.FishandWildlifeServicerequestedtheassistanceofinstitutions

topropagatestockforrelease.SeveralTexaszoologicalinstitutions

becamebreedingfacilities.CurrentparticipantsinTexasincludethe

AbileneZoologicalGardensinAbilene,theCaldwellZooinTyler,

FossilRimWildlifeCenterinGlenRose,HoustonZoo,Inc.,inHouston,

SanAntonioZooinSanAntonio,andSeaWorldSanAntonioinSan

Antonio.AsrecommendedbytheAttwater’sPrairie-ChickenRecovery

Plan,birdsproducedatthecaptive-breedingfacilitiesarereturnedto

wildsites,whichhaveincludedtheAttwaterPrairieChickenNational

WildlifeRefuge,theTexasCityPrairiePreserve,andprivatelandsnear

Goliad,Texas.StaffattheHoustonZoomaintainstheofficialStudbook

forthisspeciesaswellasmanagetheSpeciesSurvivalPlan®(SSP)for

thezoosthatareinvolvedwiththerecovery.

Hannah Bailey istheCuratorofBirdsandNaturalEncountersat

HoustonZoo,Inc.

Photos©JoelSartore(www.joelsartore.com/galleries/the-photo-ark/)

Species Projects

CONSERVATION

16

FRESHWATER MUSSEL CONSERVATION AND

RESEARCH CENTER

Ohio’swaterwaysarehometosomeofthemostendangered

animalsintheworld—freshwatermussels.Nearly42percent

ofNorthAmericanfreshwatermusselspeciesarefoundin

theOhioRiverbasin,servingasnaturalbiologicalfilters,food

forwildlife,andindicatorsofgoodwaterquality.In2001,the

ColumbusZooandAquarium,inColumbus,Ohio;alongwith

TheOhioStateUniversity;theWilds,nearCumberland,Ohio;

theOhioDepartmentofNaturalResourcesDivisionofWildlife;

theU.S.FishandWildlifeService;andtheColumbusRecreation

andParksDepartmentfoundedandfundtheFreshwaterMussel

ConservationandResearchCenter(FMCRC)toassistinthe

propagationandconservationofhighlyendangeredfreshwater

musselspecies.MaintainedadjacenttotheSciotoRivernearthe

ColumbusZoo,theFMCRCisoneofonlytenfreshwatermussel

conservationfacilitiesinNorthAmerica,andtheonlyfacilityof

itskindintheMidwest.TheFMCRC’sresearchandconservation

effortsfocusondevelopmentofinnovativemethodsofcaptive

careandhealthassessment,andhaveproducedexceptional

resultswithnumerousspeciespropagated,cultured,translocated,

andintroducedtoOhiostreamsandrivers.In2011,theprogram

wasrecognizedwiththeAssociationofZoosandAquariums

(AZA)NorthAmericaConservationAward,thehighest

conservationhonorgivenbytheAZA.Overafiveyearperiod

theCenterreintroduced6,200endangeredNorthernriffleshell

musselstoOhiowaterways—thelargestreintroductioneverto

occurinOhio.FundingfortheFMCRChasalsobeenprovided

bytheColumbusFoundation,theMorrisAnimalFoundation,

theNationalFishandWildlifeFoundationandTheMussel

MitigationTrust.

Doug WarmoltsistheDirectorofAnimalCareattheColumbus

ZooandAquarium

Photos©ColumbusZoo&Aquarium

THE TIGER SPECIES SURVIVAL PLAN AND ITS TIGER CONSERVATION CAMPAIGN

ThetigerisaniconicspeciesexhibitedathalfofallAssociationofZoosand

Aquariums(AZA)-accreditedzoosandaquariums(yes,evensomeaquariums).But

thispopularandbelovedanimalisquicklydisappearingfromthewild.Inthepast

centuryfourofninesubspeciesoftigershavegoneextinctintheirnaturalhabitats.

TheTigerSpeciesSurvivalPlan®(SSP)isanAZAcooperativebreedingprogram

thatscientificallymanagespopulationsofAmur,Malayan,andSumatrantigers—each

ofwhichisthoughttonumberfewerthan500inthewild.Thesetigers,exhibitedat

accreditedzoosandaquariums,serveasakindofgeneticinsurancepolicyfortheir

wildcounterparts.

Understandingthatthezooandaquariumcommunityhasanincredibleopportunity,

ability,andresponsibilitytoplayamuchlargerroleinsavingthisiconicspeciesfrom

extinction,theTigerSSPinitiateditsTigerConservationCampaignin2012.Thegoals

ofthecampaignaretoincreaseawarenessabouttheplightofwildtigersandraise

fundingfortheirconservation.

Initsfirstyear,theTigerConservationCampaignraisedsignificantfundsinsupport

ofwildtigerconservation,andeffectivelydoubledthenumberofzoossupporting

wildtigerconservation.Thecampaign’swebsite(www.mnzoo.org/tigerssp/campaign)

andsocialmediapage(www.facebook.com/tigercampaign)haveengagedzoosand

thegeneralpublictosupporttigerconservation,andnumerouszooshaveinitiated

tiger-themedeventstoraisepublicawareness.Workingtogether,webelieveourzoo

andaquariumcommunitycanmakeabigimpactandhelpsecureafuture

forthisawe-inspiringspecies.

Tara Harris,PhD,istheDirectorofConservationatMinnesotaZooandtheTigerSSPCoordinator

TopPhoto©PhoenixZoo.BottomPhoto©MinnesotaZoo

Species Projects —continued

17CONSERVATION

DenverZooinDenver,Colo.,wasawardedtheAssociationofZoos

andAquariums’(AZA)inauguralGreenAwardin2011forleading

effortsinsustainabilitythroughitsSustainableManagementSystem

(SMS).Thissystemprovidesaninstitution-wideframeworkfor

DenverZootoidentify,implement,measure,report,andcontinually

improveoperationstoreducetheZoo’senvironmentalimpact.As

thefirstzoointhecountrytoreceiveISO14001certificationforits

entireoperation,DenverZoohasprovenitiscommittedtooperating

atthehighestenvironmentalstandardsanditconductsregular

independentoutsideauditstoensureconsistentbenchmarkingand

improvement.Toachieveitsaggressivegoaltobecomeazerowaste

facilityby2025,DenverZooisdesigningandbuildinganinnovative

waste-to-energysystemintheZoo’sLEED-platinumcertifiedToyota

ElephantPassageexhibit.Thissystemwillconvert90percent

oftheZoo’stotalwastestreamintocleanenergy;reducingits

landfillcontributionby1.5millionpoundsannually.Inadditionto

developinginnovativerenewableenergytechnology,DenverZoo

hasimplementedwaterconservationprojectsoverthelastten

yearsthathavereducedannualwaterusagebyapproximately60

percentsince1999.Staffhasalsodemonstrateditscommitmentto

reducinggreenhousegasemissionsbyincreasinguseofalternative

transportationtoworkby41percentsince2009.

“Theseeffortsareevidenceofouremployees’long-term

commitmenttoleadershipinsustainablebusinesspractices.As

aconservationorganization,it’simportantforustooperateour

businessinalignmentwithourmissiontosecureabetterworldfor

animalsthroughhumanunderstanding,”saysDenverZooPresident/

CEOCraigPiper.“Asatrusted,highprofileorganizationinour

community,weembraceourresponsibilitytodemonstratehow

businesses,notjustzoosandaquariums,canthrivewhilehavinga

lightertouchonourplanet.DenverZooandanumberofourAZA

colleaguesareleadingthischarge.”

Jennifer Hale istheSustainabilityManagerattheDenver

ZoologicalFoundation

Photos©DenverZoo

Annually,AZA-accreditedzoosandaquariumscontributeapproximately$160milliontotheconservationandprotectionofanimals

inthewild.AZAinstitutionsworkonprojectsinvolvinghundredsofspeciesaroundtheworld.Whilesomeofthatworkwas

carriedoutbythememberinstitutionsthemselves,muchofitwascarriedoutincooperationwithpartners.Conservationisonly

possiblewhenworkingwiththepeoplelivingonthelandandnexttotheanimals.AZA-accreditedinstitutionssupportprojectsthat

protectspeciesandrespectpeople.WhetheritisworkingwithalocalNGOtoprotectlionsandtheMaasairanchingtraditionsin

theSerengeti,ortheNationalParkServiceinIndiatoprotectrhinosandthecropsofnearbyfarms,AZAzoosandaquariumsare

workinghardtoprotectthespeciesthatareimportanttoourvisitorsandthevillagerslivingaroundtheworld.

Steve BurnsistheDirectoratZooBoise

GREENING OPERATIONS AT THE

DENVER ZOO

CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIPS

18

AZA VOICES

Anna George, PhD DIRECTOR OF THE TENNESSEE AQUARIUM CONSERVATION INSTITUTE

Tennessee Aquarium

Aquaticanimalshavealwaysfascinatedme,andI’venever

passedupachancetograbasnorkelingmaskandjumpina

clearriverortheocean.Myjourneytoprotectwaterquality

andfreshwaterbiodiversitystartedwiththissimpledesireto

learnmoreaboutanimalsinmybackyard.

Effectivefreshwaterconservationcan’tbeachievedsolely

throughmywork;itrequirescoordinatedactionsbymany

communitymembers.Aquariumsandzoosoffermillionsof

peopleanopportunitytoconnectwithnaturelikeIdoduring

mysnorkeltrips.TheTennesseeAquarium’sdynamicexhibits

ofsoutheasternanimalshelpinspireanenvironmentalethicin

ourcommunitythatisanintegralpartofourworkprotecting

freshwaterlife.

Weworktoprotectandrestorenativeaquaticanimalsin

thesoutheasternU.S.,aglobalhotspotforbiodiversity.

Withthehelpofmanypartnersfromgovernmentagencies,

universities,andothernonprofitorganizations,wehave

managedlong-termreintroductionprogramsthathave

helpedbothgameandnongamefishes,includinglake

sturgeon,Barrenstopminnows,Conasaugalogperch,and

SouthernAppalachianbrooktrout.Wehaverestoredspring

habitatinnorthGeorgiatohelpimperiledcoldwaterdarters

andbrownbacksalamanders.

Wealsoresearchedtheimpactofthecatastrophiccoalash

spillinTennesseetoraiseawarenessofthedestructiveimpact

ofcoalashonfisheslikelargemouthbass.

Photos©TennesseeAquarium

XEDUCATION

you

ANIMALHEALTHANDWELFARE

20

TheAssociationofZoosandAquariums

(AZA)isdedicatedtomaintaining

standardsofexcellenceinallaspects

ofanimalcareandwelfare.Exceptional

animalmanagementpracticesin

AZA-accreditedzoosandaquariums,and

cooperativelyamongtheseinstitutions,

isnotonlyvitalforthehealthofeach

individualanimal,butalsonecessaryto

ensurethathealthy,geneticallydiverse

populationsaresustainedforthelongterm.

Species Survival Plan® (SSP) Program

AZA-accreditedzoosandaquariumswork

togetherthroughtheSpeciesSurvival

Plan®(SSP)Program,cooperativeanimal

management,breeding,andconservation

effortsadministeredbyAZA.This

programconvenesexpertsinanimal

care,welfare,andconservationwhowork

towardmaintaininggeneticallydiverse,

self-sustainingpopulationsofmore

than500speciesofanimals.Program

participantscooperateonconservation

educationinitiatives,animalhealth

research,wildlifereintroductions,and

supportfieldconservationeffortstohelp

ensurelong-termspeciessurvival.

EachSSPisresponsibleforexamining

theneedsofaspecificspeciesand

developingaplanthatidentifiesthe

populationgoalsandrecommendations

toensurethesustainabilityofthat

species.SSPsparticipateinavarietyof

othercooperativeconservation

activities,suchasresearch,public

education,reintroduction,andfield

conservationprojects.Therearemore

than500SSPscoveringavarietyof

mammals,birds,reptiles,amphibians,

fish,andinvertebrates,manyofthem

threatenedandendangeredspecies.

SomespeciesmanagedundertheAZA

SSPProgramincludetheaddax,American

buryingbeetle,LakeVictoriacichlids,

Californiacondor,Africanwilddog,

Leaders in Animal Care and Welfare

PhotobyJulieLarsen-Maher©Wildlife

ConservationSociety

21ANIMALHEALTHANDWELFARE

RisingTideConservationprovidesalternativestocollecting

ornamentalfishfromreefsthroughthedevelopmentof

innovativeaquaculturetechniques.Theprogramwasinitiated

in2009bySeaWorldParksandEntertainment;itiscurrently

supportedbyovertwentyAssociationofZoosandAquariums

(AZA)memberfacilities.RisingTideinvolvesresearchinall

aspectsofreeffishproduction—fromdeterminingoptimal

nutritionforadultstocollectingeggsandraisinglarvae.Regular

communicationwithproducersfacilitatesintegrationinto

commercialproduction.

AZA-accreditedfacilitiesarethefoundationofthisprogram.

Thesepartnerspromotereefeducationandprovidecritical

materialstoadvancebreedingefforts.Determininghowtoraise

marinefishrequireseggs—andeggsrequirehealthy,mature

adultfish.Thesehealthy,reproducingadultsareabundant

indisplaytanksofAZA-accreditedaquariumsacrossNorth

America.Aquaristscollectthemicroscopiceggsandshipthem

toexpertsfromtheUniversityofFloridaforpropagation.The

biologistsfeedthelarvae,determinethespecies,anddevelop

techniquesforraisingeachspecies.Sofar,theprogramhas

successfullyraisedover15species.Fourofthesespecies,

includingtheIUCNendangeredBangaiicardinalfisharenowin

commercialproduction.

ThecollaborationofAZA-accreditedfacilities,university

biologists,andindustrypartnersisthestrengthofthis

program.Wewillcontinuetodeveloptechniquesformore

species.Ifyou’dlikemoreinformation,pleasevisit

www.risingtideconservation.org.

Judy St. LegeristheDirectorofPathologyandResearchat

SeaWorldParksandEntertainment

RISING TIDE CONSERVATION

black-footedferret,westernlowland

gorilla,snowleopard,Okapi,Puerto

Ricancrestedtoad,andGrevy’szebra.

Animal Health

AZA-accreditedzoosandaquariums

practicestate-of-the-artveterinary

care.Skilledwildlifeveterinarianswork

inmodernveterinaryfacilitiestocare

formorethan800,000animalsin

AZA-accreditedfacilities.Beyond,

excellentanimalhealthandthe

preventionandearlydetectionofillness,

AZA-accreditedzoosandaquariums

areleadersinanimalhealthresearch,

advancingourunderstandingofthe

world’sanimalsandapplyingthat

knowledgewithinandoutsideof

theirfacilities.

Preventativeveterinaryassessments,

includingdailyobservationsanddata

recording,routineweightmonitoring,

fullphysicalexaminationsincludingblood

andfecaltesting,dentalexaminations,

dietsupplementationandvaccinations

ensurethatthehealthoftheanimals

caredforinAZA-accreditedzoosand

aquariumsisofthehighestquality.

Animal Welfare

AprimarygoalofAZA-accreditedzoos

andaquariumsistoachievethehighest

standardofwelfarefortheanimalsin

theircare.Standardsareconstantlybeing

raised,ensuringthatanimalsinthese

institutionsarereceivingthebestpossible

carefromhighly-qualifiedstaff.Successful

animalhusbandryinzoosandaquariums

alsorequiresdetailedknowledgeofa

species’ecology,reproductivebiology,

genetics,behavior,nutrition,anddiseases.

AZAScientificAdvisoryGroupsare

composedofsubjectmatterexpertsand

utilizeand/ordevelopscientifically-based

practices,collaboratewiththegreater

academic,scientific,andgovernment

communities,andwidelydisseminate

theknowledgegained.AZAScientific

AdvisoryGroupsadviseAZAmembers

inawidevarietyoffieldsincluding

nutrition,behavior,reproduction,and

veterinarymedicine.

AZAvaluessuperioranimalhusbandry

practicesandrecognizesthattheyare

directlyrelatedtotheadvancedlevel

ofanimalwelfaremaintainedwithin

accreditedzoosandaquariums.Animals

experiencegoodwelfarewhenhealthy,

comfortable,well-nourished,safe,able

todevelopandexpressspecies-typical

relationships,behaviors,andcognitive

abilities.Animalhusbandrypractices

ensurethatthephysiological,biological,

psychological,andsocialneedsofthe

animalscaredforinAZA-accreditedzoos

andaquariumsareaddressed.

AZAAnimalCareManualsareauthored

byrecognizedspeciesexperts,including

biologists,veterinarians,nutritionists,

reproductionphysiologists,behaviorists,

andresearchers.Thesemanualspresent

acompilationofknowledgebasedonthe

currentscience,practice,andtechnology

ofanimalcareandwelfareonaspecies-

by-speciesbasis.Chaptersfocuson

areassuchasgeneralinformation,

ambientenvironment,habitatdesign

andcontainment,transport,social

environment,nutrition,veterinarycare,

reproduction,behaviormanagement,

programanimals,andresearch.These

manualsidentifybasicrequirements,

bestpractices,andanimalcare

recommendationstomaximizecapacity

forexcellenceinanimalcareandwelfare

andareupdatedregularlyaspractices

continuetoevolveandasscientific

knowledgeincreases.

22

Species Survival Plans®

TheAssociationofZoosandAquariums(AZA)SpeciesSurvivalPlan®(SSP)Programbeganin1981asacooperative

populationmanagementprogramforselectedspeciesinzoosandaquariumsinNorthAmerica.Today,thereare

morethan500SSPscoveringavarietyofmammals,birds,reptiles,amphibians,fish,andinvertebrates.Hereare

someexamplesfromaroundtheworld.

BLACK-FOOTED FERRET

Oncethoughtextinct,theblack-footed

ferretwasrediscoveredin1981andthelast

fewindividualswerebroughtintofacilities

forbreeding.TheWyomingGame&Fish

DepartmentandtheU.S.Fish&WildlifeService

partnerwiththeSSPtoproduceasmanykits

aspossibleforongoingreintroductionefforts.

Since1986,over7,500ferretkitshavebeen

producedintheSSPandabout5,000

releasedtothewild.

ARUBA ISLAND RATTLESNAKE

TheArubaIslandRattlesnakeSSPisthelongest

continuousAZAprogramforasnake.Since

1986,theSSPhasbeenpartneringwiththe

governmentofAruba,ArikokNationalPark,

andseveralArubaNGOsinanefforttopreserve

theexistinghabitatandmanagethiscritically

endangeredspecies.

ANDEAN CONDOR

TheAndeanCondorSSPhasproduced

morethan80Andeancondorsthathave

beenreleasedintothewildinColombiaand

Venezuela.Expertisedevelopedinzoosis

assistingwithcommunityoutreachandtraining.

TheAZAAndeanCondorCareManualhasbeen

translatedintoSpanishanddistributedtothe

Colombianzoostoassistinimprovingtheir

condormanagementprogram.

LION

Forover30yearstheLionSSPhasworkedwith

zoos,scientists,andfieldconservationprojects

toensurethewelfareandsustainabilityoflions

inzoosandinthewild.TheAZALionSSP

strivestobearesourcethatcanhelpalllionsby

sharingimprovedhusbandrytechniques,using

thelatesttechnologytoensuresustainable

long-termmanagement,andconnectingzoos

withlionconservationprojectsinAfrica.

NORTH AMERICA

BlackFooted Ferret

CaliforniaCondor

AmericanBurying Beetle

WyomingToad

CENTRAL AMERICA/CARIBBEAN

ArubaIsland Rattlesnake

MexicanRed- kneedTarantula

PuertoRican CrestedToad

SOUTH AMERICA

AndeanBear

BlueThroated Macaw

ChileanFlamingo

AFRICA

WesternLowland Gorilla

KoriBustard

Grevy’sZebra

Elephant

Lion

LakeVictoria Cichlids

AfricanPenguin

23ANIMALHEALTHANDWELFARE

RED PANDA

TheRedPandaSSPhasbeenworkingwith

otherzoologicalregionsforover20years,

andhasrecentlybeenestablishedasa

GlobalSpeciesManagementPlan.Byworking

togetheraspartnersinaglobaleffort,

husbandryandmanagementexperienceswill

beeasilysharedresultinginaunifiedapproach

toredpandamanagement.

MICRONESIAN KINGFISHER

Twenty-nineMicronesiankingfishersrescued

fromGuambecamethefoundersforthe

MicronesianKingfisherSSP.Overthepast30

years,AZAzoos,theDivisionofAquaticand

WildlifeResourcesfacilityonGuam,and

dedicatedbiologistshavecontributedtothe

successofthisprogram.Withthezoo

populationnowexceeding150birds,itistime

toagainpartnerwiththeU.S.Fish&Wildlife

Servicetomovethisendangeredspecies

programontothenextstageofrecovery.

AMUR LEOPARD

Quitepossiblythemostendangeredcatin

theworld,thewildpopulationconsistsof

only30-40animals.Timeisoftheessence

fortheAmurLeopardSSPtoplanbreeding

strategiestoincreasethesizeand

sustainabilityofthezoopopulation.Zoo

andconservationprofessionalsfromall

overtheworldarecomingtogetherto

ensurethisprogram’ssuccess.

MATSCHIE’S TREE KANGAROO

TheMatschie’sTreeKangarooSSP’sflagship

fieldprogram,theTreeKangarooConservation

Program,wasestablishedin1996asa

conservationresearchprojectandhasevolved

intoacollaborativeeffortinvolvingindigenous

communities,conservationbiologists,social

scientistsandresearchinstitutions.

ASIA

ChineseAlligator

RedPanda

RedCrowned Crane

IndianRhino

AsianWildHorse

INDONESIA

KomodoDragon

Micronesian Kingfisher

EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST

ArabianOryx

SlenderHorned Gazelle

AUSTRALIA

Little(blue) Penguin

QueenslandKoala

MatschiesTree Kangaroo

GrayKangaroo

24

AZA VOICES

Diane Barber CURATOR OF ECTOTHERMS

Fort Worth Zoo

IhaveactedaschairoftheAmphibianTaxonAdvisory

Group(ATAG)since2006,atimewhenAZAwasaskedto

respondtotheglobalamphibiancrisisonanunprecedented

scale.Alongwiththehelpofmanyothers,includingthe

AZAConservationDepartmentandtheATAGsteering

committeemembers,wehavebeenabletoprovide

institutionswithafunctionalroadmap(ATAGRegional

CollectionPlan)andmultipleresourcestocreateisolation

spaceandnewprogramsforamphibians.Oneofthemost

valuableresourceswehaveprovidedtotheglobalzoo

andaquariumcommunitytomaximizecareandwelfare

foramphibians,istheAmphibianHusbandryResource

Guide.Thisguideisadistinctresourceforsoundand

responsibleamphibianmanagement—notonlyinstate-of-

the-artzoosoraquariums,butindevelopingcountries

withfewerresources.

Ihavehadtheprivilegeofworkingwithseveral

reintroductionprogramsforamphibianspeciesthrough

theyears(Wyomingtoad,Houstontoad,Chiricahua

leopardfrog,hellbender,andthePuertoRicancrested

toad)andhavelearnedalotfromtheseexperiences.As

theCoordinatorforthePuertoRicanCrestedToadSpecies

SurvivalPlan®(SSP),Ihavebeenabletoadaptprevious

experiencesandappliedthemtorecoveryeffortsforthis

uniquespecies.Sinceitsbeginningsin1984,thePuerto

RicanCrestedToadSSPisthelongestcontinuousrunning

reintroductionprogramforanyamphibianandhasbecome

themodelforotherspecies.Ihaveworkedwiththespecies

since1998andhaveservedasthecoordinatorsince2005,

oftenprovidinginputforthedevelopmentofmethodology

foramphibianreintroductions,aswellguidancefor

diseasescreening,nutritionalconsiderationsandgenetic

managementofcaptiveamphibiansusedforreintroduction

programs.Thereisstillmuchtolearnregardingamphibian

reintroductionsandcaptivemanagement,butIbelievethis

hasbeenthemostrewardingandchallengingpartofmy

job,andIenjoybeingabletosharemyexperiences(good

orbad)forthebenefitofotherspecies.

Photos©FortWorthZoo

XEDUCATION

you

THEASSOCIATIONOFZOOSANDAQUARIUMS

26

Association of Zoos and Aquariums AZA Accreditation

GuestsexplorethePenguinGalleryatthe

TennesseeAquariuminChattanooga,Tenn.

Photo©TennesseeAquarium

Bymeetingthemandatoryhigh

accreditationstandardssetbythe

AssociationofZoosandAquariums

(AZA),thisinstitutionisaleaderinanimal

careandwildlifeconservation.Ithasmet

rigorous,professionalstandardsfor

animalwelfareandmanagement,

veterinarycare,research,education,

safety,staffing,andmore.TheAZA

AccreditationProgrambeganin1974and

isthemostcomprehensiveandrigorous

accreditationprogramforzoological

institutionsintheworld.

Notallzoosandaquariumsarethesame.

Ofmorethan2,800USDA-licensed

wildlifeexhibitors,justover200(lessthan

10percent)meettherigorous,mandatory

standardsofAZAaccreditation.TheAZA

accreditationsealistheeasiest,most

reliablewayforpeopletochoosezoos

andaquariumswherehigh-qualityanimal

careisthefirstpriority,andwherethere

isasignificantcommitmenttowildlife

conservation.

How AZA Accreditation Works

AZA-accreditationmeansthattheanimals

ataccreditedzoosandaquariumsreceive

excellentcareeveryday.Thisinstitution

hasmetrigorous,professionalstandards

27THEASSOCIATIONOFZOOSANDAQUARIUMS

Wehavehelpedputinplaceprotectionandmonitoringsystemsforsome

ofthemostendangeredspeciesandpopulationsofwildlifeintheworld.

Inparticular,wearehelpingtosavethecriticallyendangeredCrossRiver

gorilla,themostendangeredofalltheAfricanapes.OurCrossRivergorilla

workoperatesatmanydifferentlevelsfromprovidingparkrangerswith

thetrainingandtoolstheyneedtodotheirjobsbettertocontributingto

conservationactionplansthatguideconservationstrategyatnationaland

internationallevels.

Workingatazooprovidesmuchgreaterflexibilitytoengageinfield

conservationwork,aswearenotsubjecttothesameconstraintsas

UniversitiesandotherconservationNGOs.Wecanadaptandrespondto

challengesandopportunitiesinaveryagilefashion.Thisisinpartduetoour

freedomfromthingslikeclassschedulesandtenurerequirements,butalso

duetothefactthatourconservationworkissupportedatleastinpartbyzoo

operations.Wearenotasdependenton,andconstrainedby,grantfunding.

AZA VOICES

Photo©LincolnParkZoo

Rich Bergl, PhD CURATOR OF CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH

North Carolina Zoo

foranimalwelfareandmanagement,

veterinarycare,behavioralenrichment,

nutritionandstafftraining.AZA

accreditationstandardsexceedcurrently

establishedlocal,stateandfederal

guidelines.

TheAZAaccreditationprocessis

overseenbyatwelve-member

independentAccreditationCommission

andincludesadetailedapplicationanda

meticulouson-siteinspectionbyateam

oftrainedzooandaquarium

professionals.Theinspectingteam

observesallaspectsoftheinstitution’s

operationinareassuchasanimalcare

(includinglivingenvironmentanddaily

enrichment);keepertraining;safetyfor

animals,staff,andvisitors;educational

programs;conservationefforts;veterinary

programs;financialstability;risk

management;visitorservices;andother

areas.Theprocessculminateswithan

in-personhearingbeforethe

AccreditationCommission,which

evaluatestheinspectionreportandthe

documentationsuppliedbythe

institution.Basedonthisinformationthe

AccreditationCommissiondetermines

eligibilityforAZAaccreditation.

AZAaccreditationstandardsaresubject

tocontinuousreviewandenhancement,

requiringincreasedlevelsofprofessional

commitmenttoachieveandmaintain

accreditation.Onceaccredited,an

institutionisexpectedtocontinuously

advanceitsprofessionaloperationand

constantlyattain,orsurpass,allthe

professionalstandards,policies,

guidelines,orresolutionsadoptedby

theAZA.Toproveitsongoing

commitmenttoexcellence,every

accreditedinstitutionmustgothrough

theentireaccreditationprocessevery

fiveyears.

LookfortheAZAlogowheneveryouvisit

azoooraquariumasyourassurancethat

youaresupportinganinstitution

dedicatedtoprovidingexcellentcarefor

animals,agreatexperienceforyou,anda

betterfutureforalllivingthings.

28

Mission

TheSouthCarolinaAquariuminspiresconservationofthe

naturalworldbyexhibitingandcaringforanimals,byexcelling

ineducationandresearch,andbyprovidinganexceptional

visitorexperience.

Conservation Efforts

ConservationmattersattheSouthCarolinaAquarium.South

Carolinaisoneofthemostbio-diversestatesinthenation,and

ourconservationinitiativeshelptoprotectthedenizensofour

streamsandrivers,wetlandsandmarsh,ourshorelineandthe

ocean.Signatureprogramsextendfromcharismaticspecieslike

seaturtlesandsharkstoless-heraldedbutvitallyimportant

sentinelslikefreshwatermusselsandtherarerobustredhorse.

Fieldconservationcomeswithacost,andtheAquarium’s

commitmenttoconservationisfirmlyrootedinpartnership.

Whileseaturtlerescueandrehabilitationwasnotintheoriginal

plansuponopening,theAquariumrespondedtothecallput

outbythestate’sDepartmentofNaturalResourcesand

launchedacriticallyimportanthospitalandrescueeffort.The

Aquariumhasalsotackledtheissueofsustainableseafood

headonbypartneringwithlocalseafoodsuppliersand

restaurants.Therobustredhorseinitiativeincludesfederaland

regionalgovernmentpartners,energycompaniesandlocal

universities.“We’reextremelyproudofourcommitmentto

fieldconservation,whichhastypicallyexceededthreepercent

ofourbudget,”saidKevinMills,AquariumpresidentandCEO.

“Byhighlightingourworktoourpublic,wehopetoinspire

futuregenerationsofenvironmentalstewards.”

South Carolina Aquarium Conservation Facts

• TheSouthCarolinaAquariumiscurrentlytakingpartin14

conservationprojects

• In2011SouthCarolinaAquariumstaffspentcloseto100days

workingonconservationprojects(exclusiveoftheyear-round

SeaTurtleRescueProgram)

• TheSouthCarolinaAquarium’sSeaTurtleRescueProgramhas

successfullytreatedandreleased97seaturtles

THE SOUTH CAROLINA AQUARIUM

• TheSouthCarolinaAquarium’sSustainableSeafoodInitiative

currentlyhas95partnerrestaurantsacrossthestateofSouth

Carolina

South Carolina Aquarium Conservation Success Story

OneoftheSouthCarolinaAquarium’smostpopularand

successfulconservationprogramsistheSustainableSeafood

Initiative.Theprogramwasdevelopedin2001andisdesignedto

promotetheuseoflocalandsustainableseafoodinthestate’s

restaurants.Theprogramhelpsensurethatconsumershavefish

forthefuturebyteachingourpartnerchefsaboutsustainable

andlocalseafood,assessingtheirmenus,andencouraging

consumerstodineatoneofourpartnerrestaurants.Todate,

morethan90restaurantsinCharlestonandacrossthestate

havemadethepledgetoserveonlysustainableseafood.

FormoreinformationontheSouthCarolinaAquarium’s

conservationprojectsvisit:www.scaquarium.org/conserve

Photos©SouthCarolinaAquarium

29THEASSOCIATIONOFZOOSANDAQUARIUMS

JimMaddy,presidentandCEOofthe

AssociationofZoosandAquariums

(AZA)discusseswhatmakesAZA-

accreditedzoosandaquariumsvalued

andtrustedcommunityassets.

Why is AZA accreditation important?

AccreditationbytheAssociationofZoos

andAquariumsmeansthatpeoplecanbe

surethattheinstitutionmeetsmandatory,

rigorousandprofessionalstandardsin

animalcareandwelfare;safetyfor

visitors,staffandanimals;science

educationalprograms;andconservation

efforts.AZAstandardsexceedthose

establishedbylocal,stateandfederal

regulations.AZAstandardsarealso

continuouslyreviewedandenhancedto

ensuretheanimalsgetthebestpossible

careandvisitorsgetthebestpossible

experience.Itisnoteasytobecome

accreditedbyAZA,andthoseinstitutions

thathaveachievedaccreditationmeet

agoldstandardwhenitcomesto

zoologicalinstitutionsinthiscountry

andaroundtheworld.Onceazooor

aquariumhasbeenaccredited,itmustgo

throughtheprocesseveryfiveyears.For

visitors,thereisanassurancethatthey

aresupportingzoosandaquariumswhere

theanimalsaregettingthebestpossible

care,wherethestaffsareatthetopof

theirprofessions,andwherethereisa

deepcommitmenttoconservingwildlife

andwildhabitats.

How involved are AZA-accredited

zoos and aquariums in helping

endangered species?

Pressureonwildlifeandwildhabitats

fromhabitatdestruction,climatechange,

humanencroachment,tradeandother

factorsisintensifying.Thismakesthefield

conservationworkofAZAinstitutions

increasinglyimportant.AZArecently

publisheditsAnnualReporton

ConservationScience(ARCS)which

focusesexclusivelyonthoseconservation

projectsthathaveadirectimpacton

A Conversation with Jim Maddy

animalsinthewild.Annually,AZA-

accreditedinstitutionsandcertified-

relatedfacilitiescollectivelysupported

$160millionon2,600projectsinover

100countries.

Thatisasignificantandgrowingamount

forconservationbutitonlytellspartof

thestory.AZA-accreditedinstitutions,

withmorethan182millionguestsayear,

strongpartnershipswithfederal,state

andlocalgovernments,deeprelationships

withotherNGOs,andtalentedand

dedicatedstaffwhoareexpertsonthe

animalsintheircare,areplayingacentral

roleintheconservationofawiderange

ofspeciesandtheirhabitats.

How do zoos and aquariums

connect people to nature?

Inanincreasinglyurbanizedworld,many

peoplearelessconnectedtonature.

AZA-accreditedzoosandaquariums

helptobridgethisgap—particularly

withchildren.

Ifnotforzoosandaquariums,many

youngsterswouldneverhavethechance

tosee,smell,orhearwildlife.Eachyear,

50millionchildrencomethroughthe

gatesofAZA-accreditedzoosand

aquariumsandareabletoexploreawide

arrayofworldclass,immersiveexhibits

thattransportthemtoallpartsofthe

world.Inthesestate-of-theartexhibits,

theycomeface-to-facewithsomeofthe

mostremarkableanimalsontheplanet.

Inthesespecialmoments,zoosand

aquariumshavetheopportunityto

engagepeople,youngandold,withthe

animals’stories,explainthechallenges

theyarefacing,andprovidethesevisitors

withthetoolsandinformationthey

needtomakeadifference.

JimMaddyvisitingtheSouthCarolinaAquarium.Photo©AZA

30

AZA-accreditedinstitutionsalsoplay

apowerfulroleinmoretraditional

education.Eachyear,accreditedzoos

andaquariumstrain40,000school

teachersandsupportstatescience

curriculawithteachingmaterialsand

hands-onopportunitiesforstudents.

TheNationalScienceFoundationfound

thatzooandaquariumeducation

programsarehighlyeffectiveatteaching

peopleaboutscience.

Why are zoos and aquariums valued

as important community and cultural

institutions?

AZA-accreditedzoosandaquariums

areanchorsoftourismandeconomic

developmentintheircommunities.

Together,theygenerate$21billionin

economicactivityandsupport204,000

jobs.Atthelocallevel,thistranslatesto

supportforjobsinscience,hospitality,

constructionandmore.AnAZA-

accreditedzoooraquariumisalsoa

culturalcenter—providingitscommunity

withatrustedleaderinenvironmental

education,animalcare,andwildlife

conservation.

Zoosandaquariumsareplacestolearn,

placestotakeinthenaturalwonderof

ourworld,andplacestoenjoyfamilyfun.

Whetheryouarelearningaboutlocal

wildlifesuchasblackbearswhiletrekking

throughMinnesotaZoo’sMinnesotaTrail,

orexploringthewondersandthe

vastnessoftheseaattheMontereyBay

Aquarium’sOpenSeaexhibit,accredited

zoosandaquariumsaddarichthreadto

theculturaltapestryofallthe

communitiesofwhichtheyareapart.

There are AZA-accredited zoos and

aquariums of all sizes, from very small

local institutions to very large tourist

destinations. Are there links between

AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums?

Perhapsthemostvisiblelinkforaguest

toanAZA-accreditedinstitutionis

participationintheAZASpeciesSurvival

Plan®(SSP)Program.TheSSPProgramis

acooperativeanimalmanagement,

breeding,andconservationprogramthat

A Conversation with Jim Maddy —continued

workstowardsensuringgenetically-

diverse,self-sustainingpopulationsof

morethan500speciesofanimalsfor

publiceducation,conservation,and

researchtohelpensurelong-termspecies

survival.Awell-knownSSPistheGrevy’s

ZebraSSP—ifyouseeaGrevy’szebrain

anAZA-accreditedinstitutionanywhere

inthecountry,youareseeingananimal

thatispartofapopulationthatis

managedamongmultiplezoostoensure

itsgeneticdiversityandsustainability.In

addition,allAZA-accreditedzoosand

aquariumsshareanimalsandhavestaff

participatingoncommitteesthatadvance

thelatestineducationstandards,

businesstrends,andwaystogreentheir

operationsamongotherthings.Visiting

anyaccreditedzoooraquariumprovides

youawindowintoalargerzoological

communitythatworkstogetherto

continuallyimproveeveryaspectof

theiroperations.

What does the future hold for zoos

and aquariums?

Thefutureisbright.Zoosandaquariums

aremorepopularthaneverbefore,which

isagoodthingbecausetheyaremore

necessarythaneverbeforeintheircentral

roleasenginesofwildlifeconservation.

Notonlywilltheycontinuetowork

directlyinthefieldtosavespecies,they

willcontinuetobuildthenextgeneration

ofwildlifeconservationistswithrich

educationalprogramming,vibrant

exhibitsandamazingliveanimal

experiences.Theywillalsocontinueto

bepowerfuleconomicenginesinthe

communitiestheyserve.AZA-accredited

zoosandaquariumsaretrusted

communityorganizationsinconservation,

education,andanimalcareandthat

well-deservedreputationwillgrowin

theyearsanddecadestocome.

AZAPresidentandCEOJimMaddyvisitsanotterattheSouthCarolinaAquarium.

Photo©AZA

XEDUCATION

you

ECONOMICIMPACTOFZOOSANDAQUARIUMS

32

The Economic Impact of AZA Accredited Zoos and Aquariums

Photo©MiamiZoo

Theannualoperatingandcapitaloutlays

ofzoosandaquariumsaccreditedbythe

AssociationofZoosandAquariums(AZA)

provideimportanteconomicbenefits

withinlocalandstateeconomiesandalso

generateimportanteconomicbenefits

nationallyandeveninternationally.These

economicbenefitsincludegrowinggross

domesticproduct(GDP),creatingwages

forworkersattheinstitutions,and

supportingjobsthroughouttheeconomy

astheinitialspendingbyzoosand

aquariumsisre-spentandre-cycled.

AZA-accreditedzoosandaquariumsin

theUnitedStatesspent$4.6billionin

2012alone,accordingtoStephenS.Fuller,

PhD,DwightScharFacultyChairand

UniversityProfessor,andDirectorof

theCenterforRegionalAnalysisat

GeorgeMasonUniversity.Thisspending

wasdividedbetweenannualoperations

expenditurestotaling$3.5billion,plus

anadditional$1.1billionincapital

improvements,anamountlikelytovary

byyear.Notincludedintheanalysis

werethesignificantspendingoutlaysof

concessionairesthatprovideretailand

foodservicesongroundsatthese

facilities.Obviouslyincludingthe

operatingexpensesofthesebusinesses

wouldgrowthetotaleconomicimpact

oftherespectivezoosandaquariums

evenmore.

Anothersourceofimportantrevenuein

thecommunitysurroundingAZA-

accreditedzoosandaquariumsisthe

off-sitespendingofzooandaquarium

gueststhatoccursincombinationwith

theirvisits.Whilenotallzooand

aquariumguestscombinetheirvisitwith

othercommercialactivities,researchhas

shownthatsomedoandthatthis

spendingcanbesignificant,particularly

whenitstemsfromout-of-towntourists.

ThenumberofpeoplethatvisitedAZA-

accreditedzoosandaquariumsin2012

was181.9millionglobally,while169.4

millionofthosepeoplevisitedan

accreditedzoooraquariumintheUnited

States.Thevisit-related,off-sitespending

ofthosezooandaquariumvisitorsinthe

U.S.hasbeenestimatedat$2.4billion.

33ECONOMICIMPACTOFZOOSANDAQUARIUMS

Therefore,theeconomicbenefitof

AZA-accreditedzoosandaquariumsand

theirvisitorsin2012canbehighlighted

asfollows:

• DirectexpendituresbyU.S.AZA

accreditedzoosandaquariumsof

$4.6billioncontributedatotalof$13.2

billiontotheUnitedStates’GDP,

basedontheuseofawidelyaccepted

aggregateoutputmultiplierof2.88.

• Directspendinggenerated$4.4billion

inwagesandsalariesforU.S.workers

andsupported132,015jobsinthe

UnitedStates.

• Before-and-aftervisitorspending,

estimatedtototal$2.4billion,added

anadditional$6.6billiontoGDP,

generated$2.0billioninwages,and

supported61,971jobsnationwide.

• TotalcontributionofAZA-accredited

zoosandaquariumstotheU.S.

economyin2012was$19.8billion,

generatingpersonalearningstotaling

$6.4billionandsupporting193,986

jobs.

• EightofAZA’steninternational

memberorganizationsreported

directannualoperatingandcapital

expenditurestotaling$490.7million

in2012.Thisspendingaddedan

estimated$1.1billioninaggregate

benefitstotheeconomiesofthese

internationalmembers’countries,

generated$352millioninnewwages

toworkersresidinglocally(inaddition

todirectpayrolloutlays)andsupported

10,772jobsacrosstheirrespective

nationaleconomies.

Theseanalyseshaveconfirmedthatthe

economicimpactsofannualspending

byAZA-accreditedzoosandaquariums

andthevisit-related,off-sitespendingby

theirguestshavebenefitsthatfarexceed

thevalueoftheinitialinvestments.

Thesebenefitsconstituteanimportant

sourceofnewincomeandjobsthat

contributebroadlyacrosstheeconomy

locallyandatthestate,national,and

internationallevels.

Source:AssociationofZoosandAquariums;GMUCenterforRegionalAnalysis.

Notes:(1)thetotalvalueofgoodsandservicesgenerateddirectlyandindirectlyasaresult

ofannualoutlaysbyzoosandaquariumsandtheirvisitorsintheU.S.in2012;(2)theadditional

earningsgeneratedwithintheU.S.;(3)theadditionalnewjobssupportednationwidebythe

spendingandre-spendingofdirectoutlays.*fourofsixnon-Canadianzoosreporting.

Sources DirectOutlays

TotalOutput(1)

PersonalEarnings(2)

JobsSupported(3)

TotalUS $6.948 $19.842 $6.378 193,986

AZAMembers

4.578 13.206 4.447 132,015

Visitors 2.370 6.636 1.961 61,971

International $0.491 $1.146 $0.352 10,772

Canadian 0.116 0.265 0.082 2,674

Other* 0.375 0.881 0.270 8,098

TotalImpacts

$7.439 $20.988 $6.730 204,758

Summary of Economic Impacts Generated By AZA-Accredited Zoos and Aquariums, 2012

(Inbillionsof2012dollars)

34

The Zoo Atlanta Mission

ZooAtlantainAtlanta,Ga.,strivestoinspirethecitizensof

AtlantaandGeorgiaandallvisitorstotheZootovaluewildlife

onEarthandtohelpsafeguardexistingspeciesthrough

conservation.

Conservation Efforts

TheZooAtlantaconservationphilosophycentersonleveraging

resourcesforin-situandex-situprogramsforselectspeciesand

ecosystemsinthreefocusareas:giantpandas,greatapes,and

reptilesandamphibians.

GiantpandasareZooAtlanta’slargestconservationinvestment,

anditspartnershipwithChina’sChengduResearchBaseofGiant

PandaBreedingdatestothe1990s.FundsfromtheZoodirectly

supportstaffing,suppliesandparkpatrolsoneightnature

reservesinChina.

ZooAtlantaisalsoakeypartneroftheDianFosseyGorilla

FundInternational.TheZoo’scontributionsofpro-bonospace

andresourceshaveallowedtheFosseyFundtofocusits

attentiononin-situprogramsinAfrica.

ThroughafoundingpartnershipintheTurtleSurvivalAlliance,

ZooAtlantahashelpedtoprotectAsianturtlesaffectedbythe

wildlifetrade.Inaddition,throughacollaborationwithProject

Heloderma,theZoo’sherpetologystaffhasbeenabletohavea

directimpactonthepurchaseoflandforGuatemalanbeaded

lizardhabitat,localeducationprograms,andhelpprovideschool

suppliesandhousingforvillagerssharingtheMotaguaValley

withthiscriticallyendangeredspecies.

ZOO ATLANTA

Establishedin2007throughgiftsfromTheThomasH.andMabel

DornReederFoundation,theReederConservationEndowment

FundhasrecentlyallowedZooAtlantatoextenditseffortsto

includeadditionalspecies.ThesehaveincludedBorneanand

Sumatranorangutans,Sumatrantigers,Africanelephants,African

lions,giraffe,blackrhinos,severalbirdspecies,andspecies

nativetoGeorgia.

ZooAtlantacurrentlyhasnocoordinatedstaffposition

specificallydedicatedtofieldconservation.Asasolution,curator

jobdescriptionsincludeabuilt-incommitmenttoscientific

researchandconservation,andZooAtlantaisextremely

supportiveoffieldworkbybothcuratorialandanimalcarestaff.

“Wehaveanobligationtodomorethanmerelyexhibitanimals.

We’realsoresponsibleforworkingtoprotectthespeciesand

ecosystemstheyrepresent,”saysDwightLawson,PhD,deputy

directoratZooAtlanta.“ZooAtlantaisproofthatlimited

resourcesandstaffdon’thavetobebarrierstomaking

significantconservationcontributions.”

Zoo Atlanta Conservation Facts

• Since1999,ZooAtlantahascontributedmorethan$13.2

milliontogiantpandaconservation.

• Since1995,ZooAtlantahascontributedaround$730,000

insupportoftheDianFosseyGorillaFundInternational;

mountaingorillasaretheonlyapepopulationcurrently

increasing.

• Since2008,theReederConservationEndowmentFund

hascontributed$133,000to24projectsinAfrica,Asia,

SouthAmericaandNorthAmerica.

• FieldworkbyZooAtlantastaffhasresultedinthenaming

of33newamphibianandreptilespecies.

• In2012,morethan180nativediamondbackterrapinsand

gopherfrogswerereleasedintothewildthroughhead-start

programsatZooAtlanta.

Zoo Atlanta Conservation Success Story

ZooAtlantaisalongtimepartneroftheGoldenLionTamarin

Associationandplayedakeyroleincaptivebreedingprograms

thathavehelpedtosavethisspeciesfromextinction.Inthelate

1990s,twogroupsoftamarinsfromZooAtlantawerereleasedin

theirnativeBrazil.Adecadelater,wildpopulationshadincreased

fromfewerthan200inthe1960stomorethan1,600by2008.

ZooAtlanta-bornfoundersandtheiroffspringmakeupa

significantpercentageoftoday’swildpopulation.

To learn more visit www.zooatlanta.org.

Photos©ZooAtlanta

35ECONOMICIMPACTOFZOOSANDAQUARIUMS

Accreditedzoosandaquariumsprovidefamilyexperiencesthat

areaffordable,accessible,educational,fun,andhealthy.They

deservethesupportoflocal,state,andfederalprograms.

• NearlyeveryadultAmerican(99%)hasvisitedazooatleast

onceand93%havevisitedanaquariumatleastonce.

• Eachyear,approximatelyhalfofallAmericansvisitazoo

and/oraquarium.

• Morethanthree-quartersofAmericansagreewitheachof

sevenpositivestatementsabouttheimportantrolezoos

andaquariumsplayinthelivesofcommunities,families,

andchildren.

Specifically:

Zoos and Aquariums & the Public

Photo©RosamondGiffordZoo

Agree

Zoosandaquariumsplayanimportantroleinintroducingyoungpeopletowildlifeandconservationissues

96%

Zoosandaquariumsplayanimportantroleintherecreationandeducationallifeofacommunity

92%

Kids,especiallythoseinurbanenvironments,wouldhavelittleornoexposuretowildlifeifitwerenotforzoosandaquariums

91%

Zoosandaquariumsplayanimportantroleinprotectingwildlifefromextinction

87%

Zoosandaquariumsofferanaffordablewayforfamiliestospendvaluabletimetogetherinthischallengingeconomy

86%

Zoosandaquariumsareimportantenoughtolocalcommunitiestobepartiallysupportedbygovernmentfunding

78%

Zoosandaquariumsareimportanttothequalityoflifeinacommunity

76%

(PrimeGroup,March2011,n=1,204)

36

ImanagethesealionandbirdofpreyprogramsatShedd

AquariuminChicago,Ill.,Ioverseetheanimalcareand

traininginbothareasandteachallofourstafftocare

forandtraintheseanimalsaswell.Manyoftheanimals

thatIworkwitharerescuedanimalsthatareunabletobe

releasedbackintotheirnaturalhabitat.Notonlyarewe

abletogivetheseanimalsahomehereatShedd,butweare

abletoconnectourgueststotheseanimalsandtheirwild

counterparts.

Asanationallyrecognizedleaderinmarinemammal

rescueandrehabilitation,Sheddworkswithgovernment

agenciesandotherAssociationofZoosandAquariums

(AZA)accreditedorganizationstoprovidepermanent

homesforsealions,includingourmostrecentaddition,

apupfoundblindedfromgunshotwounds.Bystarting

successfultrainingprogramsfortheseincredibleanimals,

weareweareabletoshowothersinthecommunitythat

sealions,fromblindpupstoadultmales,canmakeexcellent

additionstozooandaquariumpopulationsandbecome

educationandconservationambassadors.Theirpresence

allowstheaquariumtoshareimportantstoriesaboutthe

specieswiththemorethantwomillionchildren,adultsand

familiesthatvisittheaquariumeachyear.

Photo©JohnG.SheddAquarium

Kelly Schaff MANAGER OF SEA LIONS AND BIRDS OF PREY

John G. Shedd Aquarium

AZA VOICES

zoos and aquariums

8403 Colesville Road Suite 710 • Silver Spring, MD 20910 • phone 301.562.0777 fax 301.562.0888

www.aza.org