SALISBURY – The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) awarded the City of Salisbury another five-year accreditation for the Salisbury Zoo this week.
“It is important for us to recognize that any accomplishment made at the Salisbury Zoo is made possible by the guidance and support of the Office of Mayor [Jim] Ireton, the Salisbury City Council, the contribution of the various department within the City of Salisbury, and in particular our Department of Public Works, and ultimately all of the citizens of the City of Salisbury,” Salisbury Zoo Director Ralph Piland said.
AZA President and CEO Jim Maddy came before the council at Monday’s to present the awarding of another accreditation.
“This is a great achievement, Accreditation of a Zoological Institution,” Maddy said. “It is a life and death business at the zoo, if you will, and there is only one accreditation standard for zoological institutions in North America and that is the accreditation of my organization, Association of Zoos and Aquariums.”
As of the last Accreditation Commission hearing in September, the total number of AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums in North America is now 228. Salisbury Zoological Park will remain on the list as the commission voted recently to grant the zoo accreditation until 2019.
According to AZA, “accreditation” is the official recognition and approval of a zoo or aquarium by a group of experts. These experts, called the AZA Accreditation Commission, carefully examine each zoo or aquarium that applies for AZA membership. Only those zoos and aquariums that meet high standards can become members of AZA.
The Accreditation Commission evaluates every zoo or aquarium to make sure it meets AZA’s standards for animal management and care, including living environments, social groupings, health, and nutrition. Additionally, the commission makes sure that animals are provided with enrichment, which stimulates each animal’s natural behavior and provides variety in their daily routine.
The Accreditation Commission also evaluates the veterinary program, involvement in conservation and research, education programs, safety policies and procedures, security, physical facilities, guest services and the quality of the institution’s staff.
Also, a zoo or aquarium needs a strong foundation in order to continue to meet high standards, so accreditation evaluates each institution’s finances, its governing authority, and its supporting organizations.
“There are 228 zoos and aquariums in the United States, Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean that meet this standard, and there are 10 times that number of institutions that display animals for the enjoyment of the public licensed by the US Department of Agriculture that do not meet the accreditation standard,” Maddy said. “You can go small or you can go big but there is one common standard of animal care, and that is the standard that you’ve met.”
There are many benefits of accreditation, starting with developing public confidence by means that an institution meets or exceeds current professional standards. Accreditation also increases eligibility for grants and gains access to critical AZA programs and services, such as the animal exchange, opportunities for collaboration and consultation with AZA colleagues who are top experts in the field, and participation in the Species Survival Plan and AZA’s flagship Animal Conservative Program.
“The Association of Zoos and Aquariums accredits only those zoos and aquariums that meet the highest standards. As a proven leader in the care and conservation of wildlife and education outreach, The Salisbury Zoo is ranked among the best zoos and aquariums in the world,” Maddy said, as he bestowed the award to the City of Salisbury.
At the Accreditation Commission hearing in September, five other institutions became members — Assiniboine Park Zoo, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Butterfly Pavilion, Westminster, Colo.; Dolphin Island, Sentosa Island, Singapore; S.E.A. Aquarium, Sentosa Island, Singapore; and SEA LIFE Grapevine, Grapevine, Texas.
The following institutions were also granted another five-year accreditation cycle: Binder Park Zoo, Battle Creek, Mich.; Bramble Park Zoo, Watertown, S.D.; Central Park Zoo, New York, N.Y.; Chattanooga Zoo, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Children’s Zoo at Celebration Square, Saginaw, Mich.; Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, Ohio; Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Cleveland, Ohio; Franklin Park Zoo, Boston, Mass.; Greenville Zoo, Greenville, S.C.; Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, Omaha, Neb.; Philadelphia Zoo, Philadelphia, Pa.; Potawatomi Zoo, South Bend, Ind.; Prospect Park Zoo, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Queens Zoo, Queens, N.Y.; Saint Louis Zoo, Saint Louis, Mo.; Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita, Kan.; Staten Island Zoo, Staten Island, N.Y.; Steinhart Aquarium, San Francisco, Calif.; Tautphaus Park Zoo, Idaho Falls, Idaho; Tracy Aviary, Salt Lake City, Utah; Utah’s Hogle Zoo, Salt Lake City, Utah; Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Wash.; and, Zoo de Granby, Granby, Quebec, Canada.