Public and private zoos may be hard to differentiate- here are some things to look out for when deciding on what zoo is best for you
AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) Accreditation
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is an organization that upholds animal welfare, ethics, and zoo practice standards. AZA accreditation is important when looking for zoos to visit, because it guarantees that the animals at the zoo are well cared for and the zoo upholds safe and ethical practices. Less than 10% of licensed animal exhibitors have AZA accreditation, so not many zoos meet their rigorous standards.
Are there additional packages or add-ons that allow you to interact up close and personal with animals?
Often times, private zoos employ marketing strategies that involve extra animal interactions for a higher price. Most public zoos avoid this for animal and public safety. Private zoos get away with more unethical or unsafe practices than public zoos since they are owned by a person or corporation instead of the public, and may care more for financial gain than animal welfare.
Are there mission statements on the zoo's website, or are there statements deterring animals rights activists?
Many public zoos have a mission statement talking about their goals for wildlife and animal care. Private zoos don't usually have these, as they are profit driven more than driven by science. Often times, private zoos will also have statements on their website or posted on their facilities to deter animal rights activists.
Many public zoos are AZA accredited. What does this mean?
AZA stands for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The AZA is a non-profit organization that is “dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation." They pride themselves on their high standards of care.
When a zoo is AZA accredited, it means that the zoo is held to higher standards than other zoos. The AZA is fairly strict about the condition and care of their zoos. So, when you go to an AZA accredited zoo, like the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, it means that the zoo takes care of their animals.
Many AZA zoos take part in the Species Survival Plan (SSP). What is the SSP?
The Species Survival Plan is working to save endangered and threatened species. The zoos work together to sustainably and ethically breed their animals in a way that will produce healthy offspring.
Each zoo follows strict protocols when it comes to the way that the animals are bred. However, individual zoos may have slightly different versions of the plan. This is because certain zoos specialize in the care and breeding of certain animals. For example, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo specializes in the care of Asian Elephants, housing six at this time. Different zoos may also be responsible for studbooks for animals. The Rosamond Gifford Zoo holds studbooks for five different animals.
Public zoos get their funding from public sources. What does this mean?
AZA accredited zoos get funding and grants from the AZA and their sponsors. In order to get and keep this funding, they have to follow the strict standards.
Public zoos get a lot of funding from visitors and sponsors. This is a public source, and they often have to be honest about what they do with the funding. This ensures that the money is going back into the animals.
Zoos can also get funding from the town, city or even the state. Again, this means that they have to be honest and show what they are doing with the funding that they are getting. If the zoos are receiving money, they need to be keeping their standards of care up.
Private zoos get their funding from private donors. How does this effect where the money goes?
Private zoos are often funded by the owner of the zoo and private donors. Because they are not receiving government funding, they do not have to disclose where the money is coming from, or where it is going.
With private funding, the zoo does not need to follow any standards or rules for care, so they are free to do as they want in terms of care.