Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium earns AZA accreditation
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium has earned accreditation from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, the zoo announced on Thursday.
The accreditation, which is considered the gold standard for zoos and aquariums across the world, communicates that the Pittsburgh Zoo has met or exceeded professional standards and excellence in animal management, well-being, safety, conservation, and education.
"Earning AZA accreditation reflects excellence and unwavering dedication to the highest standards of animal care and conservation," Dan Ashe, president and chief executive officer at AZA, said in a news release. "We are proud, once again, to count the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium as an accredited member. This achievement is the result of commitment and dedication to be the incredible zoological facility that the city of Pittsburgh deserves."
In order to get the accreditation, the zoo was put through a rigorous process that included multi-day inspections that combed through zoo operations, animal well-being, veterinary care, conservation efforts, education programs, and safety for animals, visitors, and staff.
From there, a report was filed and evaluated by AZA's Accreditation Commission, and then a formal interview and hearing with zoo officials on Monday. The vote for the Pittsburgh Zoo, which left the program in 2015 over its elephant handling policy, was unanimous.
AZA said it was impressed by the health of the animals at the zoo as well as its conservation center in Somerset.
"It was a very intense endeavor," Jeremy Goodman, president and CEO of the zoo, told KDKA-TV. "Like I said, it takes well over a year to prepare for. They bring in experts from around the country to inspect your facility. They spend a week at your facility, opening up every drawer, looking at everything, doing interviews. They did over a hundred interviews with staff members and board members while they were here."
Gaining the accreditation from AZA will now provide the Pittsburgh Zoo with access to programs and services such as animal exchanges, participation in the species survival plan, funding and grants, as well as periodic evaluation by experts.
"Everybody's been so excited," Goodman said. "My phone has not stopped ringing with the texts and the calls and the emails."
For ticket holders in Pittsburgh, the accreditation now means memberships are reciprocal, and people can get discounted admission into other AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums across the nation.
