Photo: Oregon Zoo
The Oregon Zoo earned kudos and another five years of accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums this week at the association’s annual conference, held this year right in the zoo’s own hometown.
“AZA’s standards continuously evolve to reflect best practices in the zoo and aquarium profession, with a strong emphasis on animal care and wellbeing at their core,” said Dan Ashe, AZA president and CEO. “Oregonians can be very proud of their zoo. It ranks among the top zoos nationally, and it doesn’t just keep pace. It’s a leader in helping to set our ever-rising standards.”
AZA’s accreditation process includes a detailed application and meticulous multiple-day onsite inspection by an independent team of zoological professionals. The inspecting team analyzes all aspects of a zoo’s operations, including animal care and well-being, veterinary care, staff training, educational programs, conservation efforts, financial stability, risk management, governance and guest services.
“One of the things called out at our accreditation hearing was the incredibly strong community support for this zoo,” Oregon Zoo Director Heidi Rahn said. "We will never take that lightly and we are committed to continuous improvement.”
The zoo also took an honorable mention in AZA’s annual poster competition, where zoos and aquariums share scientific research with their colleagues. Dr. Carlos Sanchez, the zoo’s director of animal health, was honored in collaboration with Oregon State University experts Dr. Jennifer Johns and Laura Nutter, for their research on the role of elephant white blood cells in the disease process.
Over the past 15 years, the Oregon Zoo has been recognized with 15 of AZA’s major annual awards: six for conservation work on behalf of endangered species, two for excellence in exhibit design, one for educational programming, one for environmental efforts in the zoo’s day-to-day operations, one for achievement in diversity and three for marketing excellence, plus the Half-Century Award, honoring 50 years of continuous accreditation.
AZA — a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, animal well-being, education, science and recreation — is the accrediting body for 255 top zoos and aquariums in the United States and overseas. In 1974, the Oregon Zoo and Philadelphia Zoo became the first two zoos in the world to earn AZA accreditation, and each has maintained its standing continuously ever since.
Source: Oregon Zoo