What is the American Zoo and Aquarium Association?
Do you need information for a research paper on the health, reproductive rate and habitat of the cheetah? Do you want to know what is happening at your local zoo or aquarium this summer and throughout the year? Are you interested in what your zoo or aquarium is doing to save some of the world's most endangered and threatened species? If so, the American Zoo and Aquarium Association Home Page on the World Wide Web is your "hit" at http://WWW.AZA.ORG.

Known as the AZA, the American Zoo and Aquarium Association represents virtually every professionally operated zoological park, aquarium, oceanarium, and wildlife park in North America as well as over 5,400 individual members. Annually, over 122 million people visit AZA member institutions; more than attend all professional football, baseball, and basketball games combined. AZA supports membership excellence in conservation, education, science, and recreation.

Through the AZA Species Survival Plan (SSP), a cooperative population management and conservation program for selected endangered species in zoos and aquariums in North America, AZA Conservation and Science Department manages 84 SSP's covering 136 species. In addition to SSP's, AZA has Taxon Advisory Groups (TAG), Scientific Advisory Groups (SAG), and Fauna Interest Groups (FIG), which are all designed to help facilitate zoo-and aquarium-based conservation and scientific activities.

In addition to the activities of the Conservation and Science Department, AZA's Education Department has joined forces with the Department of States and Commerce to coordinate activities in AZA zoos and aquariums to highlight the International Year of the Coral Reef (1996). AZA's other departments include government affairs, public relations, development and marketing, and membership services.

For more information about how to become a member of the AZA, activities at your local AZA zoo or aquarium, or AZA products available, click away on www.AZA.org!


Look for the AZA logo when you visit your local zoo or aquarium
Established in 1924, the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) is a professional organization dedicated to the advancement of North American zoos and aquariums through conservation, education, scientific studies, and recreation. Originally conceived as a forum for information exchange among zoo and aquarium professionals, AZA has adopted conservation of the world's wildlife and their habitats as its highest priority. Today, AZA represents virtually every professionally operated zoological park, aquarium, wildlife park, and oceanarium on the North American continent, as well as many of their employees.

Realizing their potential to disseminate information and generate public and private support for environmental issues, AZA members are continually expanding their goals to reflect changes in attitudes, technology, science and ethics. As a result, AZA policies and programs are often prototypes for the international zoological community.

Conservation, education, and research programs for endangered, threatened, and rare wildlife are vital to AZA. AZA members are working daily toward the conservation of our planets' endangered species and their threatened habitats.


What does it mean to be accredited by AZA?

Tiger photo by Jim Phillips from Mill Mountain Zoo
The accreditation process was designed to evaluate zoos and aquariums in order to bolster public confidence by certifying that an institution meets certain standards. Every zoo and aquarium must be accredited in order to become a member of AZA. The Accreditation process also includes a peer review every five years to verify the maintenance of high standards required for continuation of membership.

AZA has formulated basic tenets of conduct for the guidance of its members, encapsulated in the Code of Professional Ethics. This document provides direction on ethical issues involving not only animal health and welfare, but also the moral responsibilities toward professional associates, employees and the general public.

So next time you visit the zoo or aquarium, look for the AZA logo. Then you will know that you are visiting a facility with high standards that is dedicated to providing you with a great experience and the animals with great care!