© Robin Tucker, Central Florida Zoo
Animal Care and Management
AZA is dedicated to maintaining standards of excellence in all aspects of animal care and management. Accreditation Standards and Board Approved Policies have been established to ensure this objective and often evolve to meet increasingly rigorous criteria. A plethora of information, presented in the form of manuals, recommended procedures, guidelines, etc., have been developed to advance animal health, husbandry, and welfare practices.
Planning tools, databases, software, and specialized centers have been created to enhance animal population management strategies. In addition, AZA member volunteers work collaboratively within Committees, Animal Programs, and Scientific Advisory Groups to guarantee that sophisticated animal programs and are successfully managed by taxa, species, and AZA-accredited insitutions.
Health, Husbandry, and Welfare
The health, husbandry, and welfare of animals cared for in AZA-accredited institutions is paramount. An antivenom index, information about relevant diseases, bioterrorism preparedness, quarantine procedures, nutrition, reproduction, behavior and enrichment, as well as reference tools such as husbandry and animal care manuals are valuable components for conducting excellent animal husbandry procedures and ensuring outstanding animal health and welfare. Read more about Health, Husbandry, and Welfare.
Animal Management
Management of animals within and cooperatively between AZA-accredited institutions is vital for ensuring healthy, genetically diverse populations that visitors can gain a personal appreciation for in many generations to come. Protocols developed for data information systems, institutional and regional collection planning, population management, and animal exchange availability all serve to facilitate exceptional animal management techniques. Read more about Animal Management.
Animal Programs
A variety of animal programs have been established to augment collaboration within and between the AZA, it’s Program Leaders and it’s accredited institutions in order to meet animal care and management standards of excellence. Animal Programs such as Taxonomic Advisory Groups, Species Survival Plans, Population Management Plans, and Studbook Keeping ensure each animal within the greater population of each species cared for in AZA-accredited institutions is cared for and managed in the best way possible, while Scientific Advisory Groups and Coservation Action Plans focus on research and conservation initiatives for these species. A conservation programs database in tandem with accountability processes facilitate communication processes. Read more about Animal Programs.