Tropicana zoo
New Member
Hi guys I’m bit confused about how the ZAA works can someone give me information about what they do
ZAA
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Which organization do you mean by ZAA? There are multiple zoo organizations that go by this acronym.
cornu aspersum
Well-Known Member
I assume he means the Zoo and Aquarium Association since he's based in Australia and expressed interest in opening a zoo there.
ZAA Australasia is a member-based industry association for zoos. The members are zoos and aquariums. ZAA represents zoos to governments and in other forums, and provides a number of services, many typical of other industry associations, some specific to zoos.
Members must be accredited, the accreditation is mostly about animal welfare, however there are also elements of conservation and sustainability. Member zoos must also be fully licensed and open to the public. There is provision for a form of provisional membership for new members while they gain accreditation, and for new zoos while they build their zoo.
Does that help?
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Aardwolf
Well-Known Member
There’s a bit of cross communication here. ZAA is both an American accreditation association as well as the Australian accreditation association. I believe they were referring to the later
Yes, it would appear that @Tropicana zoo was asking about the Zoo Aquarium Association of Australasia, with is the WAZA-recognised zoo association for the Australasian region, based on previous queries and their location. The US ZAA is a very different beast. However, it is difficult to tell as Tropical zoo seems to have disappeared. Shame that given thoughtful answers to their questions they don't even bother to acknowledge the answers.
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cornu aspersum
Well-Known Member
Their website has information about accreditation and their goals: Zoological Association of America - Home
Wisp O' Mist
Well-Known Member
Looking through these and goddamn, the ZAA clearly doesn't give even an iota of a damn
Kinda impressive how little they care. Some of these places might as well not be accredited at all.
biggest_dreamer
Well-Known Member
It's a borderline vanity accreditation that lets zoos say “hey we're accredited, look at that” without actually having to meet any of the guidelines that would otherwise warrant accreditation (welfare, ethical handling, education, accessibility, amenities, etc)
cornu aspersum
Well-Known Member
Doesn't it also act as a backup accreditation for some of the bigger zoos if they ever lose AZA membership?
Yeah especially when it's used by zoos like Columbus and Pittsburgh that lost AZA accreditation
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There is a small number of facilities that have both accreditations:
Cape May County Zoo (NJ)
Columbus Zoo (OH)- only gained ZAA accreditation following its AZA accreditation being revoked.
Dakota Zoo (ND)
Downtown Aquarium (TX and CO)- both facilities
Fort Worth Zoo (TX)
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center (TX)
San Antonio Zoo (TX)
Wilderness Wildlife Center (PA)
BlobfishBoy
Well-Known Member
Is there any benefit to having both over just having AZA?
Wisp O' Mist
Well-Known Member
Species access? I know that ZAA members have access to various species that are rare to nonexistent in the AZA.
ZAA-accreditation is unrelated to the obtaining of the species that those zoos have.
biggest_dreamer
Well-Known Member
Yeah, the species you would associate more with ZAA than AZA (things like Geoffroy’s cat, black-backed jackal, common brown lemur, tayra, grison, golden handed tamarin, potentially aardwolf within a few years) are simply what’s available/common in the private trade. It's not that ZAA allows you to access them (because really, basically anyone can assuming they find the right seller), it’s that ZAA doesn’t care so much you obtain your animals whereas AZA has actual guidelines for what constitutes acceptable sources.
You can compare them with ZAA Australasia Home (zooaquarium.org.au)