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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 [email protected].
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
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
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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
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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