I highly disagree with your sentiment here. AZA facilities should be teaching about these animals and teaching children to appreciate them, which they can't do without exposure to them. I don't see how it gives the wrong message, as what message is it that they are teaching? Oftentimes the pet-related message is that the species requires specialized care that everyday individuals aren't able to provide, along with the dangers of taking animals from the wild for the pet trade. Make these your pet-related talking points instead of "it's not tame". As someone who has worked with domestics in Ambassador programs, a lot is lost when working with a "pet" species. Yes, visitors like the ferrets and rabbit. But what are they learning from them? I do think chinchillas are a good option for these programs though as there is a conservation-related message.
I agree that animal ambassadors often should be non-breeding individuals, but do support the use of exotic animals, especially species well-established in the AZA. Even endangered species I'm not opposed to using in this way- many zoos and aquariums use African penguins for Ambassador programs for instance. The captive population of African Penguins is large enough that I see no problem with its use as an Ambassador as it doesn't hinder the captive breeding program.
Look at aaric.org and it will give AZA guidance in the use of these animals as ambassadors.
I don't know exactly what's done with them, as I've never seen it done myself. I just know I've heard of a few facilities (Columbus, Nashville, Cincinatti, San Diego, DAK) using aardvarks for education programs.
This is my understanding as well. They also can't really bite and their claws aren't sharp like anteaters are.
I added two pictures to my earlier post, from Point Defiance.
This is the same impression I seem to get from aardvarks as well. The only hindrance to aardvark programs I can think of is that their weight would make them more difficult to deal with. It would be impossible for many zoo staff and volunteers to lift up a full grown aardvark, meaning training would be especially important.
They might not be lifted from what you see, but they probably travel to and from the program in a crate, and this crate would likely have to be lifted at least periodically.
In your specific situation, that may very well be the case. I do know, however, that there are zoos that keep their animal ambassadors in a separate location from their classrooms. This may not be a big deal with small, easily carried animals, but an aardvark may not be feasible for places where this is the reality.
