This place would fit right in with all the crap British zoos that have popped up on the Gallery lately. It is amazing it can survive in the Pacific Northwest where there are so many really good zoos, AND such a strong animal rights consciousness. Just goes to show that for many people just seeing exotic animals up close is an experience that can justify--for them--an otherwise pointless display of a "collector's mentality."
Hey Shai: The zoo is ZAA accredited (Zoological Association of America) but not AZA accredited. It has been around since 1972, is just slightly east of Seattle, and I posted a review of it under its own thread in the ZooChat forums. I wasn't even aware of the zoo's existence until a few months ago, and the collection is extremely tiny.
ZAA Accreditation means very little. Take a look at that organization's website to see what they stand for...it's the zoo world equivalent of the NRA (that's the National Rifle Association for non-US readers--a very powerful group of people who defend private gun ownership)
