About the Edward H. Bean Award
The Edward H. Bean Award recognizes a significant captive propagation effort that either significantly enhances the population of a species, or represents a breakthrough in husbandry or breeding strategies that are significant milestones for creating a new zoo and aquarium population.
There are two categories:
- Sustainability- priority will be given to:
- long-term propagation or management programs that produce multiple successful births
- programs that demonstrate a quantifiable impact on the sustainability of the species or subspecies
- programs endorsed by the appropriate SSP and/or TAG and how the institution played a significant role
- Innovation- priority will be given to breakthroughs in breeding programs that:
- Push the boundaries for what’s possible in housing, propagating and managing a new or challenging species.
- Are replicable, thus reducing or eliminating the need to acquire new animals from outside an AZA-accredited organization.
If there is any question as to what constitutes an eligible project, please email Rob Vernon or call (301) 244-3352.
How to Submit an Application
2020 sample application and guidelines are available below. 2021 application materials will be updated in the Spring and will be due on June 1, 2021.
All Honors and Awards applications must be submitted in electronic format ONLY and must be compiled into one PDF file. Please make sure the file name reflects both the award name and the institution.
Please upload your file to the AZA Dropbox. Your file will go to the AZA Digital Dropbox account, but you do not need to sign in, or even have a Dropbox account to use this link—when it opens, just click on the “choose files” box and upload your application.
Remember to submit a Media Release Form (DOC) with your application.
Past Winners
See past recipients' application materials (member log in required)
2020
Innovation Award
Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Nashville Zoo, and Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium — Clouded Leopard
2019
Top Honors
Endangered Wolf Center — Mexican Wolf
2017
Top Honors
The Wilds — Southern White Rhinoceros
2016
Top Honors
Wildlife Conservation Society / Bronx Zoo — Maleo
2015
Top Honors
Minnesota Zoo — Tiger
Significant Achievement
- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden — Giant Jumping Stick
- The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore — Panamanian Golden Frog
Innovation
Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre — Oregon Spotted Frog
2014
Top Honors
- Disney's Animal Kingdom — Taveta Golden Weaver
- Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo and San Diego Zoo Global — African Bush Elephant
2013
Top Honors
Knoxville Zoological Gardens — Madagascar Spider Tortoise
Significant Achievement
Red River Zoological Society — Chinese Red Panda
2012
Top Honors
Saint Louis Zoo — Ozark Hellbender
2011
Top Honors
- Riverbanks Zoo and Aquarium — Bali Mynah
- Zoo Atlanta — Western lowland gorilla
2010
Top Honors
Smithsonian's National Zoological Park — Kori Bustard
Significant Achievement
- Cabrillo Marine Aquarium — Garibaldi
- New England Aquarium — Queen Triggerfish
- Riverbanks Zoo and Garden — Black-footed Cat
2009
Top Honors
- Audubon (ACRES) — Mississippi Sandhill Crane
- SeaWorld San Diego — Common Bottlenose Dolphin
Significant Achievement
Disney's Animal Kingdom — Key Largo Woodrat
2008
Top Honors
- Chicago Zoological Society — Goeldi's Monkey
- Disney's Animal Kingdom — Carmine Bee-eater
2007
Top Honors
Indianapolis Zoo — Jamaican Iguana Breeding Program
2006
Top Honors
- Milwaukee Zoo — Long-term Propagation and Management of Bonobo
- Roger Williams Park Zoo — American Burying Beetle Breeding Program 2006
Significant Achievement
- Santa Barbara Zoo — Giant Anteater Breeding Program
- John G. Shedd Aquarium — Caiman Lizard Breeding Program
2005
Top Honors
- Cincinnati Zoo — Long-term Propagation and Captive Management of the Honey Ant
- National Zoological Park — Golden Orb Spider Long-term Propagation Program
- Riverbanks Zoo — Malagasy Leaf-tailed Gecko Long-term Propagation and Captive Husbandry Program
Significant Achievement
Saint Louis Zoo — Wildlife Contraception Center
2004
Top Honors
- Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden — Long-term Propagation, Captive Management and Biology of the Spiny Lobster Katydid
- Fossil Rim Wildlife Center — Long-term Propagation of the Attwater's Prairie Chicken
Significant Achievement
- Audubon Aquarium of the Americas — Freshwater Stingray Breeding Program
- SeaWorld San Diego — Green Sea Turtle Management and Propagation History at SeaWorld San Diego
2003
Top Honors
Waikiki Aquarium — Long-term Tropical Pacific Coral Propagation Program
Significant Achievement
- Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum — Aldabra Tortoise Breeding Program
- Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden — Long-term Propagation and Captive Management of the Leaf-cutting Ant
2002
- Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden — Long-term Propagation and Captive Management of the Giant Water Bug
- Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden — Sumatran Rhino Breeding Program
- Aquarium of the Pacific — Weedy Sea Dragon Propagation Program
2001
- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden — Long-term Propagation of the Peruvian Fire Stick
- Indianapolis Zoological Gardens — African Elephant Program
2000
- Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden — Bullet Ants
- Minnesota Zoo — Long-term Propagation for Pronghorn
1999
- Brookfield Zoo — Long-term Propagation and Management of Tanagers
- Wildlife Conservation Society/Bronx Zoo — Propagation of Red and Lesser Bird of Paradise
- Oregon Zoo — Long-tem Propagation of Humboldt Penguins
- Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, USCD — Pacific Seahorse Propagation Program
- Monterey Bay Aquarium — Pacific Bonito program
1998
- Belle Isle Aquarium — Long-term Propagation of Golden Skiffia
- Riverbanks Zoo — Long-term Propagation Program for toucans
- Knoxville Zoo — Long-term Propagation and Contributory Program for the Red Panda
- Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum — Hummingbird propagation program
- Zoo Atlanta — Comprehensive Program for Great Ape Management and Conservation
- St Louis Zoo — Long-term Husbandry Program for the Formation and Maintenance of an All Male Group of Western Lowland Gorillas
- Detroit Zoo — Long-term Propagation Program for the Emperor Newt
1997
Dickerson Park Zoo — Long-term propagation program of the Asian Elephant
1996
- Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden — Sunburst Diving Beetles
- The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore — African Penguin Long-term propagation program
- Vancouver Aquarium — Lingcod breeding program
1995
Avicultural Breeding & Research Center — Breeding program for Palm Cockatoo
1994
- Avicultural Breeding & Research Center — Breeding program for Caninde Macaws
- Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, Minnesota Zoological Garden, & National Zoological Park — Long-term propagation of tigers
- Vancouver Public Aquarium — Breeding program for Pandalid shrimp
1993
- New York Aquarium — Breeding program for Belugas
- Gladys Porter Zoo — Breeding program for Philippine crocodile
1992
- Monterey Bay Aquarium — Breeding program for Purple-striped jellyfish
- National Zoological Park — Komodo Monitor hatching
1991
- Audubon Park & Zoological Garden — Asian hornbills breeding program
- San Diego Zoo — Francois' langur propagation program
- Waikiki Aquarium — Chambered nautilus breeding program
- Woodland Park Zoological Garden — Solomon Islands leaf frogs propagation program
1990
- Lincoln Park Zoological Gardens — Long-term propagation of lowland gorilla
- Tulsa Zoological Park — Atlantic spadefish
1989
- Fort Worth Zoological Park — Arboreal boid breeding program
- San Diego Wild Animal Park, San Diego Zoo, and Los Angeles Zoo — California condor
- Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and St. Louis Zoological Park — Guar and Banteng propagation programs
- National Aquarium in Baltimore - Dart-poison frog breeding program
1988
- Dallas Zoo — Bushmaster propagation program
- Louisville Zoological Garden — Woolly monkey propagation program
1987
- Toledo Zoological Gardens — Boa breeding program
- Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium — Red wolf propagation program
- Sea Life Park — False killer whale
1986
- Knoxville Zoological Gardens — Papuan python prop, program
- National Zoological Park, New York Zoological Park & Philadelphia Zoological Garden — Guam rail & Kingfisher breeding programs
- New York Zoological Park — Snow leopard breeding program
- Sea World of Florida — Killer whale
- Cincinnati Zoo — Harlequin beetle breeding program
1985
- Belle Isle Zoo & Aquarium — Checkerboard stingray propagation program
- Gladys Porter Zoo — Turtle breeding program
- Buffalo Zoological Gardens — Puerto Rican crested toad propagation program
- Cincinnati Zoo — Hercules beetle
1984
- Seattle Aquarium — Giant Pacific octopus
- Honolulu Zoo & San Antonio Zoological Gardens — Madagascar angulated tortoise
- Sea World, Inc. (San Diego) — King & Emperor penguins propagation program
- Saint Louis Zoological Park — Speke's gazelle propagation program
1983
- The Seattle Aquarium — Coho salmon breeding program
- Vancouver Public Aquarium — Marine fishes breeding program
- Miami Metrozoo — Crocodilian breeding program
- New York Zoological Park — White-naped crane breeding program
- Buffalo Zoological Gardens — Red-eyed tree frog breeding program
1982
- Houston Zoological Gardens — Angolan python
- Riverbanks Zoological Park — Black howler monkey propagation program
1981
- Vancouver Public Aquarium — Cockscomb prickleback
- National Zoological Park & New York Zoological Park — Chinese alligator
- Sea World, Inc.(San Diego) — Emperor penguin
- Cincinnati Zoo — Texas blind salamander
1980
- The Seattle Aquarium — Pacific spiny lumpsucker
- Houston Zoological Gardens — Scarlet cock-of-the-rock
- Sea World (San Diego) — Penguin propagation program
- National Zoological Park — Golden lion tamarin propagation program
1979
- Hanna-Barbera Marineland — Pacific walrus
- Houston Zoological Gardens — Red bird-of-paradise
- Dallas Zoo — Bismarck ringed python
- Cincinnati Zoo — Giant Asian walking stick
- Vancouver Public Aquarium — Wolf eel
1978
- National Zoological Park — Orangutan, second generation
- Reptile Breeding Foundation — Insular forms of Epicrates
- New York Zoological Park — Malayan wreath-billed hornbill
- Metro Toronto Zoo — Renauld's ground cuckoo
- Cincinnati Zoo — Royal goliath beetle
1977
- Cheyenne Mountain Zoo — Black howler monkey
- Saint Louis Zoological Park — Bateleur eagle
- Sedgwick County Zoo — Green tree python Dart-poison frog
1976
- Washington Park Zoo — Asian elephant, second generation
- National Zoological Park — North Island brown kiwi
- Institute/Herp. Research — White-lipped python
- Belle Isle Aquarium — Freshwater stingray
1975
- Lincoln Park Zoo — La Plata three-banded armadillo
- New York Zoological Park — North Pacific murre
- Sacramento Zoo — Fiji iguana
1974
- San Diego Zoo — Ruffed lemur
- San Diego Wild Animal Park — Abyssinian ground hornbill
- Brookfield Zoo — Hinge-backed tortoise
- New England Aquarium — Chain dogfish
1973
- Lincoln Park Zoo — Black leopard, third generation
- New York Zoological Park — White-quilled black bustard
- Columbus Zoo — Jamaican boa
1972
- St. Louis Zoological Park — Black lemur, second generation
- Zoo Atlanta — Morelet's crocodile
- Topeka Zoological Park — American golden eagle
- Shark-Quarium, Florida — Bonnethead shark
1971
- Busch Gardens (Tampa) — Roan antelope
- New York Zoological Park — Tufted puffin
- Los Angeles Zoo — Dog-toothed cat snake
- New York Aquarium — Black piranha
1970
- Memphis Zoo & Aquarium — Douc langur
- Catskill Game Farm — King vulture
- Brookfield Zoo — Green-crested basilisk
1969
- Columbus Zoo — Lowland gorilla, 2nd generation
- New York Zoological Park — Argentine ruddy duck, Reticulated python
1968
- Steinhart Aquarium — Bushmaster
- Crandon Park Zoo (Miami) — Aardvark
- National Zoological Park — Elf owl
1967
- Brookfield Zoo — Philippine tarsier
- New York Zoological Park — Adelie penguin
- Houston Zoological Gardens — Malayan pit viper
- Hanna-Barbera Marineland — Bat ray
1966
San Diego Zoo — Proboscis monkey, Thick-billed parrot, and African soft-shelled turtle
1965
- New York Zoological Park — Indian chevrotain
- San Diego Zoo — Rhinoceros iguana
1964
- Phoenix Zoo — Arabian oryx
- San Diego Zoo — Gila monster & Galapagos tortoise
- Busch Gardens (Tampa) — Golden-naped macaw
1963
- Washington Park Zoo — Asian elephant
- Milwaukee Zoo — Siamang
1962
Brookfield Zoo — Dall sheep
1961
San Diego Zoo — Koala
1960
Brookfield Zoo — Okapi
1959
- Catskill Game Farm — Asian wild horse
- National Zoological Park — Snow leopard & Wisent
1958
Audubon Park & Zoo — Whooping crane
1957
Columbus Zoo — Lowland gorilla