Toronto Zoo AZA Accreditation Denied to Toronto Zoo for 2012-13

jusko88

jusko88

Well-Known Member
The Toronto Zoo announced today that they have been denied the accreditation of Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) effective immediately and will be ineligible for re-application until March 1, 2013. The Board of Directors of the AZA voted unanimously to deny the accreditation based largely upon the inability of the Toronto Zoo to meet various AZA governance standards. Specifically, the AZA had cited "the action taken by the City Council regarding the management of animals in the zoo's collection, which is not in compliance" with a number of governing authority standards.

"Clearly, we are disappointed with the decision made by the AZA," said John Tracogna, CEO, Toronto Zoo. "There was never any question of the Toronto Zoo's animal care, governance was the key issue. We have been working diligently to create a stronger governance model that will enable us to effectively deliver upon the Zoo's core mandates - those of public education, conservation, research, species preservation, and regional tourism, while lessening the financial burden to the taxpayer. We will provide an update on this new model in the near future."

The Toronto Zoo will continue to be focused on excellence in zoo management and operations throughout the reapplication timeframe and beyond. In the short term, minimal impacts of this ruling is anticipated in the expectation that the Zoo will be once again become AZA accredited in 2013.

The Toronto Zoo has been accredited with the AZA since 1977. As a longstanding member, it complied with and adhered to the highest standards and best practices set by the AZA - a framework that helped the Toronto Zoo develop a strong international reputation in animal care and zoo management. Additionally, collaboration with the AZA has been instrumental in the success of the Zoo's Species Survival Programs (SSP).

About the Toronto Zoo

The Toronto Zoo is Canada's premier zoo and a leader in animal preservation and environmental protection. More than a tourist attraction, the Toronto Zoo boasts a number of leading programs for helping animals and their natural habitats - from species reintroduction to reproductive research. A world-class educational center for people of all ages, the Toronto Zoo is open every day except Christmas, and attracts approximately 1.3 million visitors each year.

source Toronto zoo & Toronto zoo Facebook
 
Is it just me or does it seem that Toronto zoo is being singled out?

Surely there are other accredited zoos in worse shape?
 
The simple explanation is that the Toronto City Council overruled the Zoo's management in sending the elephants to a sanctuary. The AZA's position on it is that the Zoo's trained husbandry professionals should be given the ability to make husbandry related decisions, not a governing body with no specialized knowledge.
 
Stupid city counsellors! :mad: These are the same ones who thought it was a great idea to privatize their Animal Services. If they only knew about Berger Blanc. All the more reason the zoo should be run by zoo people, not politicians.
 
Didn't see it was posted already, I posted in the wrong thread anyways :p

But I am in shock, I think that AZA went way over board, a review should have gone through first.
 
We almost had a similar situation here in Tucson (Arizona, USA) over the last few months. Extremists were trying to block us getting the new elephant herd by going to the city council and saying we had to put the old pair (one african one asian) in the new exhibit. They were relentless, going to every council meeting for months and sending letters from their supporters (mostly outside Tucson) to the mayor and council members. Of course our staff went to the meetings to (we even had experts from San Diego Zoo go to a couple meetings). Thankfully, reason prevailed and we now have a very happy and active herd of new elephants in a fantastic exhibit.

The city council of Toronto completely overstepped their bounds and why they would try to micromanage a zoo by telling them what to do with their animals is beyond comprehension. I actually applaud the AZA for taking a harsh stance because it sets an important precedent and sends a message to city councils everywhere.
 
I like to see what the attendance record is for this year is? if it will be above 1.3 million annual vistors or below that because of that.
 
gerenuk said:
The real question is what this is going to mean for the future of the relationship between the zoo and the city.
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I know that there was once talk about the zoo going into private hands, perhaps now that is going to be needed? (not sure if this is a good thing however) That or the keepers/curators should run for city councillors. :)


I too wonder about the zoo's attendance numbers for this upcoming year. I feel like the lose of not only the elephants but the accreditation the zoo will take a hit this upcoming summer.
 
Blondie said:
So what is this going to mean for the future of the zoo?
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Well for one thing, it depends on what animals at Toronto are on loan from AZA accredited institutions. They will be leaving, I believe.

Given the interference of the politicians, it will be a hard road for the zoo to get re-accredited. The Council wil have to take a step back, formally
 
I am honestly stunned by the announcement, and the decision to send the remaining elephants to a sanctuary by the Toronto City Council has now badly hurt the establishment. I know that I panned the zoo in my 2008 review, and that there have been numerous news articles over the years declaring that the establishment needed a $250 million makeover due to outdated exhibits, but I'm not sure that anyone truly believed that the AZA would actually pull the accreditation. Wow, this certainly sends a message. The fact that Canada's largest and most popular zoo (an institution with a massive collection of over 5,000 animals and 1.3 million annual visitors) will no longer be AZA-accredited is mind-blowing.
 
What these stupid politicians are doing is being political -- politically correct. Sadly the stupid animal rights activists (IDA) have influenced the politicians, making them believe that the PAWS "sanctuary" is actually the best place for elephants. This illustrates why we need to stop paying any attention to what the IDA (or PETA) is saying. Who cares about their annual "Ten Worst Elephant Exhibits" lists? They are idiots and they don't really care about animals. They care about their political agenda and about harming zoos.

And harming one zoo, the Toronto Zoo, is what the IDA has done. You can bet they are celebrating this move!

While I actually agree with the AZA's move, they should be ready to immediately rescind it once the Toronto politicians back off and let the elephants go to a suitable AZA zoo. The Zoo should not have to wait until 2013 if this mess is reversed. Once the politicians remove themselves from this mess, the Zoo's AZA-membership should be restored.
 
This honestly makes me sick. What's worse is that the city councilors can wipe their hands clean of the whole ordeal, losing AZA accreditation will have minimal (if any) impact on them. It will however, impact those who resisted the move in the first place...those who tried to oppose the city council's "solution". Thoughts are with the Toronto Zoo staff at this time...in all honesty I'm speechless right now. :(
 
This is, I believe, bigger than just a local Toronto squabble. As others have said, this is the AZA taking a firm stance on "professional" management over "political" management. Other cities will be watching this.

But looking at just the local issue, can anyone think of an accredited AZA facility that lost its accreditation and did not come back stronger than before? I haven't looked at the history myself, but from memory I suspect loss of accreditation is usually a very helpful therapy for a zoo on a bad road.
I suggest that this is not as harmful or outrageous as some here fear
 
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