Who Has Tickets to Board the AZA Ark?
Do not let the statistics fool you. There are over 8,600 species and over 780,000 individual animals in AZA accredited facilities (Zoo and Aquarium Statistics | AZA). However, most of those species are rather rare and only a fraction exist in large populations across multiple AZA facilities. The average medium-sized AZA zoo had 138 animal species, according to AZA statistics published in 2021 (https://www.aza.org/connect-stories/stories/interesting-zoo-aquarium-statistics) . It is the goal of this post to find out what species of mammals are held most commonly in AZA facilities. Other taxa may be explored in another post.
Why Limit the Post to North American AZA Zoos?
AZA membership is the gold standard for zoos and aquariums in North America. Animals can be transferred from an AZA facility to a non-accredited facility, however the AZA has stringent policies on these animal transfers (https://assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2332/aza_policy_on_responsible_population_management_final.pdf). Even prominent AZA members can have their membership revoked over violations of animal transfer policies. The Columbus Zoo lost their AZA accreditation in 2021 in part because of animal transfers to inappropriate non-AZA facilities (Columbus Zoo and Aquarium regains AZA accreditation). The majority of animal transfers to and from AZA accredited facilities are to other AZA accredited facilities.
Limiting the analysis to AZA members is also convenient and forms a defined and recognizable category.
AZA is an international organization with members around the world. The majority of members are from North America, especially the United States. Zoochat is broken down by regions, so it made sense to limit this analysis to North American facilities and post it in the North American forum and use Canada, Mexico, and the United States as the countries within North America.
The AZA Facilities Broken Down
There are 223 AZA accredited institutions in North America (Canada, Mexico, and the United States) and 14 AZA Accredited Related Facilities as of September 2024 (Institution Status: Association of Zoos & Aquariums). Different facilities can have very different animal collections, so I broke them down into categories. These categories are like groupings amongst a spectrum. It's difficult to decide exactly where some facilities fit. A facility may also have one or more animals that are unexpected given the other characteristics of the facility. These categories are a combination of both current species holdings, the capability of that facility to hold certain species, and the appropriateness of types of species given the characteristics of the facility.
Aquariums predominantly or exclusively hold aquatic species. If they have any terrestrial animals it is only a few species.
Aquariums/Biodomes have diverse species, including terrestrial animals. Their facilities are small, mostly or completely indoors, and have a limited variety of large terrestrial mammals. They have at least one exhibit themed around a partially terrestrial ecosystem.
Taxa Specialists are limited to holding a selected taxa of animals, like invertebrates.
Regional or National Specialists focus on animals native to the local region or the nation.
Limited Collection Zoos can have a diversity of mostly terrestrial species, but exhibit very few, if any, charismatic megafauna. Their charismatic megafauna is almost entirely limited to large carnivorans that are well adapted to the local climate. If they do have other megafauna, then their total animal collection is small and limited by their small facility size of 10 acres or less. Larger facilities in this category have limited financial resources to exhibit exotic charismatic megafauna.
Zoos have more charismatic megafauna, including exotic species, although they still have limits on the number of these species that they can accommodate because of spatial and/or financial considerations. I also included the Minnesota Zoo and Assiniboine Park Zoo here. The Minnesota Zoo is a major American zoo and both their Hawaiian monk seals and Malayan tapirs can be considered exotic megafauna. The relatively large Assiniboine Park Zoo in Canada only has medium and small exotic animals, but does have a massive polar bear exhibit and an exhibit for harbor seals. I would argue that the massive investment they made in those species matches or exceeds what zoos allocate to displaying many species of exotic charismatic megafauna. I wound up with 106 zoos in this category.
Safari Parks are large facilities that have significant sections not accessible by pedestrian paths and have a lot of large species in large spaces. Their collections feature more hoofstock than other types of AZA facilities.
14 Accredited Related Facilities
46 AZA Aquariums
14 AZA Aquariums/Biodomes
7 AZA Taxa Specialists
7 AZA Regional or National Specialists
33 AZA Limited Collection Zoos
106 AZA Zoos
10 Safari Parks
Using Zootierliste As a Data Set
Let me be perfectly honest, I will be using Zootierliste because it is convenient and accessible. The data for prominent mammal species is probably more accurate on Zootierliste because information about these populations is more accessible online. There will still be some inaccuracies though from using this dataset. I find that acceptable for the purposes of this thread. This is not a population thread; it is a thread about rough comparisons between animal populations.
On Including Domestic Species
I did not intend on originally including domestic species. I am personally less interested in these animal populations and it is time-consuming to go through all of the varieties. However, they are still a part of AZA facilities and including them in the analysis produced some results that I found very interesting.
The Upcoming Lists of Most Commonly Held Mammals
Please be patient with me as I work on the lists and refrain from writing them yourself. I have a particular way that I will be writing them and would like to keep it consistent. I will have an upcoming post of the top 10, another post covering spots 11-25, another covering spots 26-50, and a post covering the remainder of spots 51-100. Please feel free to speculate and guess what will be on the lists. That might be more fun for everyone!
Do not let the statistics fool you. There are over 8,600 species and over 780,000 individual animals in AZA accredited facilities (Zoo and Aquarium Statistics | AZA). However, most of those species are rather rare and only a fraction exist in large populations across multiple AZA facilities. The average medium-sized AZA zoo had 138 animal species, according to AZA statistics published in 2021 (https://www.aza.org/connect-stories/stories/interesting-zoo-aquarium-statistics) . It is the goal of this post to find out what species of mammals are held most commonly in AZA facilities. Other taxa may be explored in another post.
Why Limit the Post to North American AZA Zoos?
AZA membership is the gold standard for zoos and aquariums in North America. Animals can be transferred from an AZA facility to a non-accredited facility, however the AZA has stringent policies on these animal transfers (https://assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2332/aza_policy_on_responsible_population_management_final.pdf). Even prominent AZA members can have their membership revoked over violations of animal transfer policies. The Columbus Zoo lost their AZA accreditation in 2021 in part because of animal transfers to inappropriate non-AZA facilities (Columbus Zoo and Aquarium regains AZA accreditation). The majority of animal transfers to and from AZA accredited facilities are to other AZA accredited facilities.
Limiting the analysis to AZA members is also convenient and forms a defined and recognizable category.
AZA is an international organization with members around the world. The majority of members are from North America, especially the United States. Zoochat is broken down by regions, so it made sense to limit this analysis to North American facilities and post it in the North American forum and use Canada, Mexico, and the United States as the countries within North America.
The AZA Facilities Broken Down
There are 223 AZA accredited institutions in North America (Canada, Mexico, and the United States) and 14 AZA Accredited Related Facilities as of September 2024 (Institution Status: Association of Zoos & Aquariums). Different facilities can have very different animal collections, so I broke them down into categories. These categories are like groupings amongst a spectrum. It's difficult to decide exactly where some facilities fit. A facility may also have one or more animals that are unexpected given the other characteristics of the facility. These categories are a combination of both current species holdings, the capability of that facility to hold certain species, and the appropriateness of types of species given the characteristics of the facility.
Aquariums predominantly or exclusively hold aquatic species. If they have any terrestrial animals it is only a few species.
Aquariums/Biodomes have diverse species, including terrestrial animals. Their facilities are small, mostly or completely indoors, and have a limited variety of large terrestrial mammals. They have at least one exhibit themed around a partially terrestrial ecosystem.
Taxa Specialists are limited to holding a selected taxa of animals, like invertebrates.
Regional or National Specialists focus on animals native to the local region or the nation.
Limited Collection Zoos can have a diversity of mostly terrestrial species, but exhibit very few, if any, charismatic megafauna. Their charismatic megafauna is almost entirely limited to large carnivorans that are well adapted to the local climate. If they do have other megafauna, then their total animal collection is small and limited by their small facility size of 10 acres or less. Larger facilities in this category have limited financial resources to exhibit exotic charismatic megafauna.
Zoos have more charismatic megafauna, including exotic species, although they still have limits on the number of these species that they can accommodate because of spatial and/or financial considerations. I also included the Minnesota Zoo and Assiniboine Park Zoo here. The Minnesota Zoo is a major American zoo and both their Hawaiian monk seals and Malayan tapirs can be considered exotic megafauna. The relatively large Assiniboine Park Zoo in Canada only has medium and small exotic animals, but does have a massive polar bear exhibit and an exhibit for harbor seals. I would argue that the massive investment they made in those species matches or exceeds what zoos allocate to displaying many species of exotic charismatic megafauna. I wound up with 106 zoos in this category.
Safari Parks are large facilities that have significant sections not accessible by pedestrian paths and have a lot of large species in large spaces. Their collections feature more hoofstock than other types of AZA facilities.
14 Accredited Related Facilities
B. Bryan Preserve, Calif.
Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Center, Colo.
Duke University Lemur Center, N.C.
Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, Tenn.
Endangered Wolf Center, Mo.
Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center, La.
Lemur Conservation Foundation, Fla.
Lubee Bat Conservatory, Fla.
Pinola Conservancy, La.
Steve Martin's Natural Encounters, Inc., Fla.
Turtle Conservancy, Calif.
Turtle Survival Center, S.C.
White Oak Conservation Center, Fla.
Wilderness Wildlife Center, Pa.
Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Center, Colo.
Duke University Lemur Center, N.C.
Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, Tenn.
Endangered Wolf Center, Mo.
Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center, La.
Lemur Conservation Foundation, Fla.
Lubee Bat Conservatory, Fla.
Pinola Conservancy, La.
Steve Martin's Natural Encounters, Inc., Fla.
Turtle Conservancy, Calif.
Turtle Survival Center, S.C.
White Oak Conservation Center, Fla.
Wilderness Wildlife Center, Pa.
46 AZA Aquariums
Adventure Aquarium, N.J.
Alaska Sealife Center, Alaska
Aquarium of Niagara, N.Y.
Aquarium of the Pacific, Calif.
Aquarium of the Port of Veracruz, Mexico
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, La.
Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum and Aquarium, Fla.
Birch Aquarium at Scripps, Calif.
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, Calif.
Dolphin Discovery Cozumel, Mexico
Dolphin Discovery Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Georgia Aquarium, Ga.
Jenkinson's Aquarium, N.J.
John G. Shedd Aquarium, Ill.
Landry's Downtown Aquarium - Denver, Colo
Landry's Houston Aquarium, Inc., Texas
Marineland, Fla.
The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, Inc., Conn.
Monterey Bay Aquarium, Calif.
Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, Fla.
Mystic Aquarium, Conn.
New England Aquarium, Mass
New York Aquarium, N.Y.
Newport Aquarium, Ky.
North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, N.C.
North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, N.C.
North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, N.C.
OdySea Aquarium, Ariz.
Oregon Coast Aquarium, Ore.
Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, Canada
Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, Tenn.
SEA LIFE Aquarium at LEGOLAND California Resort, Calif.
SEA LIFE Arizona Aquarium, Ariz.
SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord Aquarium, N.C.
SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium, Texas
SEA LIFE Kansas City Aquarium, Mo.
SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium, Mich.
SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium, Fla.
Seas, The, Fla.
Seattle Aquarium, Wash.
SeaWorld Orlando, Fla.
SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas
SeaWorld San Diego, Calif.
Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, Nev.
Texas State Aquarium, Texas
Alaska Sealife Center, Alaska
Aquarium of Niagara, N.Y.
Aquarium of the Pacific, Calif.
Aquarium of the Port of Veracruz, Mexico
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, La.
Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum and Aquarium, Fla.
Birch Aquarium at Scripps, Calif.
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, Calif.
Dolphin Discovery Cozumel, Mexico
Dolphin Discovery Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Georgia Aquarium, Ga.
Jenkinson's Aquarium, N.J.
John G. Shedd Aquarium, Ill.
Landry's Downtown Aquarium - Denver, Colo
Landry's Houston Aquarium, Inc., Texas
Marineland, Fla.
The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, Inc., Conn.
Monterey Bay Aquarium, Calif.
Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, Fla.
Mystic Aquarium, Conn.
New England Aquarium, Mass
New York Aquarium, N.Y.
Newport Aquarium, Ky.
North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, N.C.
North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, N.C.
North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, N.C.
OdySea Aquarium, Ariz.
Oregon Coast Aquarium, Ore.
Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, Canada
Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, Tenn.
SEA LIFE Aquarium at LEGOLAND California Resort, Calif.
SEA LIFE Arizona Aquarium, Ariz.
SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord Aquarium, N.C.
SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium, Texas
SEA LIFE Kansas City Aquarium, Mo.
SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium, Mich.
SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium, Fla.
Seas, The, Fla.
Seattle Aquarium, Wash.
SeaWorld Orlando, Fla.
SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas
SeaWorld San Diego, Calif.
Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, Nev.
Texas State Aquarium, Texas
14 AZA Aquariums/Biodomes
California Science Center, Calif.
Dallas World Aquarium, Texas
Discovery Cove, Fla.
Florida Aquarium, The, Fla.
Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, Utah
Montreal Biodome, Canada
Moody Gardens Rainforest and Aquarium, Texas
National Aquarium, Md.
South Carolina Aquarium, S.C.
Steinhart Aquarium, Calif.
Tennessee Aquarium, Tenn.
Vancouver Aquarium, Canada
Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, Va
Wonders of Wildlife, Mo.
Dallas World Aquarium, Texas
Discovery Cove, Fla.
Florida Aquarium, The, Fla.
Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, Utah
Montreal Biodome, Canada
Moody Gardens Rainforest and Aquarium, Texas
National Aquarium, Md.
South Carolina Aquarium, S.C.
Steinhart Aquarium, Calif.
Tennessee Aquarium, Tenn.
Vancouver Aquarium, Canada
Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, Va
Wonders of Wildlife, Mo.
7 AZA Taxa Specialists
Baylor University Bear Habitat, Texas
The Butterfly House, Mo.
Butterfly Pavilion, Colo.
Clyde Peeling's Reptililand, Pa.
International Crane Foundation, Wis.
National Aviary, Pa.
Tracy Aviary, Utah
The Butterfly House, Mo.
Butterfly Pavilion, Colo.
Clyde Peeling's Reptililand, Pa.
International Crane Foundation, Wis.
National Aviary, Pa.
Tracy Aviary, Utah
7 AZA Regional or National Specialists
Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Ariz.
Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, Mont.
National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, Iowa
Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Wash.
Virginia Living Museum, Va.
Western North Carolina Nature Center, N.C.
ZOOAMERICA NA Wildlife Park, Pa.
Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, Mont.
National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, Iowa
Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Wash.
Virginia Living Museum, Va.
Western North Carolina Nature Center, N.C.
ZOOAMERICA NA Wildlife Park, Pa.
33 AZA Limited Collection Zoos
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, Ohio
Brandywine Zoo, Del.
Brookgreen Gardens, S.C.
Buttonwood Park Zoo, Mass.
Capron Park Zoo, Mass.
Central Park Zoo, N.Y.
Charles Paddock Zoo, Calif.
Cosley Zoo, Ill.
CuriOdyssey, Calif.
Dakota Zoo, N.D.
David Traylor Zoo of Emporia, Kan.
Happy Hollow Zoo, Calif.
Hutchinson Zoo, Kan.
Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park, Idaho
Lake Superior Zoo, Minn.
Lehigh Valley Zoo, Penn.
Lincoln Children's Zoo, Nebraska
Miller Park Zoo, Ill.
Museum of Life and Science, N.C.
Museum of Science, Mass.
Oglebay's Good Zoo, W.Va.
Prospect Park Zoo, N.Y.
Queens Zoo, N.Y.
Red River Zoo, N.D.
Saginaw Children's Zoo, Mich.
Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo, Fla.
Scovill Zoo, ill.
Sequoia Park Zoo, Calif.
St. Augustine Alligator Farm, Fla.
Staten Island Zoo, N.Y.
Trevor Zoo, N.Y.
Walter D. Stone Memorial Zoo, Mass.
ZooMontana, Mont.
Brandywine Zoo, Del.
Brookgreen Gardens, S.C.
Buttonwood Park Zoo, Mass.
Capron Park Zoo, Mass.
Central Park Zoo, N.Y.
Charles Paddock Zoo, Calif.
Cosley Zoo, Ill.
CuriOdyssey, Calif.
Dakota Zoo, N.D.
David Traylor Zoo of Emporia, Kan.
Happy Hollow Zoo, Calif.
Hutchinson Zoo, Kan.
Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park, Idaho
Lake Superior Zoo, Minn.
Lehigh Valley Zoo, Penn.
Lincoln Children's Zoo, Nebraska
Miller Park Zoo, Ill.
Museum of Life and Science, N.C.
Museum of Science, Mass.
Oglebay's Good Zoo, W.Va.
Prospect Park Zoo, N.Y.
Queens Zoo, N.Y.
Red River Zoo, N.D.
Saginaw Children's Zoo, Mich.
Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo, Fla.
Scovill Zoo, ill.
Sequoia Park Zoo, Calif.
St. Augustine Alligator Farm, Fla.
Staten Island Zoo, N.Y.
Trevor Zoo, N.Y.
Walter D. Stone Memorial Zoo, Mass.
ZooMontana, Mont.
106 AZA Zoos
Abilene Zoological Gardens, Texas
Akron Zoological Park, Ohio
Albuquerque Biological Park, N.M.
Assiniboine Park Zoo, Canada
Audubon Zoo, La.
Binder Park Zoo, Mich.
Birmingham Zoo, Ala.
Blank Park Zoo, Iowa
BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo, La.
Brevard Zoo, Fla.
Bronx Zoo/WCS, N.Y.
Brookfield Zoo Chicago, Ill.
Buffalo Zoo, N.Y.
Caldwell Zoo, Texas
Cameron Park Zoo, Texas
Cape May County Park and Zoo, N.J.
Central Florida Zoological Park, Fla.
Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park, Tenn.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Park, Colo.
Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Ohio
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Ohio
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Ohio
Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, Minn.
Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo, Conn.
Dallas Zoo, Texas
Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, Colo.
Detroit Zoological Park, Mich.
Dickerson Park Zoo, Mo.
El Paso Zoo, Texas.
Elmwood Park Zoo, Pa.
Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, Ind.
Fort Worth Zoo, Texas.
Franklin Park Zoo, Mass
Fresno Chaffee Zoo, Calif.
Gladys Porter Zoo, Texas
Great Plains Zoo, S.D.
Greensboro Science Center, N.C.
Greenville Zoo, S.C.
Henry Vilas Zoo, Wis.
Honolulu Zoo, Hawaii
Houston Zoo, Inc. Texas
Indianapolis Zoological Society, Inc., Ind.
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, Fla.
John Ball Zoo, Mich
Kansas City Zoo and Aquarium, Mo.
Lee Richardson Zoo, Kansas
Lincoln Park Zoo, Ill.
Little Rock Zoological Gardens, Arkansas
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Calif.
Los Angeles Zoo, Calif.
Louisville Zoological Garden, Ky
Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Md.
Memphis Zoological Garden and Aquarium, Tenn.
Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden, Inc., Ind.
Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens, Wis.
Minnesota Zoological Garden, Minn.
Naples Zoo, Fla.
Nashville Zoo, Tenn.
North Carolina Zoo, N.C.
Northeastern Wisconsin (NEW) Zoo, Wis.
Oakland Zoo, Calif.
Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden, Okla.
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, Neb.
Oregon Zoo, Ore.
Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park, Fla.
Peoria Zoo, Ill.
Pueblo Zoo, Colo.
Philadelphia Zoo, Pa.
Phoenix Zoo, The, Ariz.
Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, Pa.
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, Wash.
Potawatomi Zoo, Ind.
Potter Park Zoological Gardens, Mich.
Racine Zoo, Wis.
Reid Park Zoo, Ariz.
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, S.C.
Roger Williams Park Zoo, R.I.
Rolling Hills Zoo, Kan.
Roosevelt Park Zoo, N.D.
Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park, N.Y.
Sacramento Zoo, Calif.
Saint Louis Zoo, Mo.
San Antonio Zoological Society, Texas.
San Diego Zoo, Calif.
San Francisco Zoological Gardens, Calif.
Santa Barbara Zoo, Calif.
Sedgwick County Zoo, Kan.
Seneca Park Zoo, N.Y.
Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, D.C.
Sunset Zoological Park, Kan.
Toledo Zoological Gardens, Ohio
Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center, Kan.
Toronto Zoo, Canada.
Tulsa Zoo, Okla.
Turtle Back Zoo, N.J.
Utah's Hogle Zoo, Utah
Utica Zoo, N.Y.
Virginia Zoological Park, Va.
Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, Canada
Woodland Park Zoo, Wash.
Zoo Atlanta, Ga.
Zoo Boise, Idaho
Zoo de Granby, Canada
Zoo Knoxville, Tenn.
Zoo Miami, Fla.
ZooTampa at Lowry Park, Fla.
Akron Zoological Park, Ohio
Albuquerque Biological Park, N.M.
Assiniboine Park Zoo, Canada
Audubon Zoo, La.
Binder Park Zoo, Mich.
Birmingham Zoo, Ala.
Blank Park Zoo, Iowa
BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo, La.
Brevard Zoo, Fla.
Bronx Zoo/WCS, N.Y.
Brookfield Zoo Chicago, Ill.
Buffalo Zoo, N.Y.
Caldwell Zoo, Texas
Cameron Park Zoo, Texas
Cape May County Park and Zoo, N.J.
Central Florida Zoological Park, Fla.
Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park, Tenn.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Park, Colo.
Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Ohio
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Ohio
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Ohio
Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, Minn.
Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo, Conn.
Dallas Zoo, Texas
Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, Colo.
Detroit Zoological Park, Mich.
Dickerson Park Zoo, Mo.
El Paso Zoo, Texas.
Elmwood Park Zoo, Pa.
Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, Ind.
Fort Worth Zoo, Texas.
Franklin Park Zoo, Mass
Fresno Chaffee Zoo, Calif.
Gladys Porter Zoo, Texas
Great Plains Zoo, S.D.
Greensboro Science Center, N.C.
Greenville Zoo, S.C.
Henry Vilas Zoo, Wis.
Honolulu Zoo, Hawaii
Houston Zoo, Inc. Texas
Indianapolis Zoological Society, Inc., Ind.
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, Fla.
John Ball Zoo, Mich
Kansas City Zoo and Aquarium, Mo.
Lee Richardson Zoo, Kansas
Lincoln Park Zoo, Ill.
Little Rock Zoological Gardens, Arkansas
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Calif.
Los Angeles Zoo, Calif.
Louisville Zoological Garden, Ky
Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Md.
Memphis Zoological Garden and Aquarium, Tenn.
Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden, Inc., Ind.
Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens, Wis.
Minnesota Zoological Garden, Minn.
Naples Zoo, Fla.
Nashville Zoo, Tenn.
North Carolina Zoo, N.C.
Northeastern Wisconsin (NEW) Zoo, Wis.
Oakland Zoo, Calif.
Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden, Okla.
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, Neb.
Oregon Zoo, Ore.
Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park, Fla.
Peoria Zoo, Ill.
Pueblo Zoo, Colo.
Philadelphia Zoo, Pa.
Phoenix Zoo, The, Ariz.
Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, Pa.
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, Wash.
Potawatomi Zoo, Ind.
Potter Park Zoological Gardens, Mich.
Racine Zoo, Wis.
Reid Park Zoo, Ariz.
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, S.C.
Roger Williams Park Zoo, R.I.
Rolling Hills Zoo, Kan.
Roosevelt Park Zoo, N.D.
Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park, N.Y.
Sacramento Zoo, Calif.
Saint Louis Zoo, Mo.
San Antonio Zoological Society, Texas.
San Diego Zoo, Calif.
San Francisco Zoological Gardens, Calif.
Santa Barbara Zoo, Calif.
Sedgwick County Zoo, Kan.
Seneca Park Zoo, N.Y.
Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, D.C.
Sunset Zoological Park, Kan.
Toledo Zoological Gardens, Ohio
Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center, Kan.
Toronto Zoo, Canada.
Tulsa Zoo, Okla.
Turtle Back Zoo, N.J.
Utah's Hogle Zoo, Utah
Utica Zoo, N.Y.
Virginia Zoological Park, Va.
Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, Canada
Woodland Park Zoo, Wash.
Zoo Atlanta, Ga.
Zoo Boise, Idaho
Zoo de Granby, Canada
Zoo Knoxville, Tenn.
Zoo Miami, Fla.
ZooTampa at Lowry Park, Fla.
10 Safari Parks
Africam Safari Park, Mexico
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Fla
Disney's Animal Kingdom, Fla.
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Texas
Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park & Wildlife Safari, Nebraska
Lion Country Safari, Fla.
Longneck Manor, Texas
San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Calif.
Wildlife Safari, Ore.
Wilds, The, Ohio
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Fla
Disney's Animal Kingdom, Fla.
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Texas
Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park & Wildlife Safari, Nebraska
Lion Country Safari, Fla.
Longneck Manor, Texas
San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Calif.
Wildlife Safari, Ore.
Wilds, The, Ohio
Using Zootierliste As a Data Set
Let me be perfectly honest, I will be using Zootierliste because it is convenient and accessible. The data for prominent mammal species is probably more accurate on Zootierliste because information about these populations is more accessible online. There will still be some inaccuracies though from using this dataset. I find that acceptable for the purposes of this thread. This is not a population thread; it is a thread about rough comparisons between animal populations.
On Including Domestic Species
I did not intend on originally including domestic species. I am personally less interested in these animal populations and it is time-consuming to go through all of the varieties. However, they are still a part of AZA facilities and including them in the analysis produced some results that I found very interesting.
The Upcoming Lists of Most Commonly Held Mammals
Please be patient with me as I work on the lists and refrain from writing them yourself. I have a particular way that I will be writing them and would like to keep it consistent. I will have an upcoming post of the top 10, another post covering spots 11-25, another covering spots 26-50, and a post covering the remainder of spots 51-100. Please feel free to speculate and guess what will be on the lists. That might be more fun for everyone!
