Zoos have become something of a hot-button topic in recent years. There are pockets of society that hate all zoos. I am a zoo employee, so I am biased in this regard. But, I see all the love, research, and knowledge animal care staff--zookeepers, veterinarians, nutritionists, the animal welfare committee-- brings to each animal within their care. The majority of the animal care staff have graduate degrees in various science disciplines, chiefly zoology and biology, and many of them do international conservation work to support endangered animals and combat habitat loss.
Everything accredited zoos do is based around education, conservation, and restoration.
(photo property of author)
Let's rewind to a very quiet, uneventful year...2020. As the country went into lockdown, many of us found a wild distraction in the chaotic Netflix show, Tiger King. Just in case someone might not be familiar with this show, it centers on a man named Joe Exotic and his "zoo." It also tackles his adversaries, Carole Baskin and Doc Antle. While Antle states his private zoo (The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species, or T.I.G.E.R.S) was AZA accredited as of 2016 (Antle, 2016), there were some elements of his facility that I have personal objections to. As for Baskin and Exotic, neither of their establishments are AZA accredited. Technically, I cannot call these establishments "zoos" because they are just roadside attractions.
AZA is the Association of Zoos and Aquariums is an non-profit organization that governs zoos and aquariums. Establishments must reapply for accreditation every 5 years and are evaluated based on strict and ever-evolving criteria surrounding animal care, ethics, and animal welfare. If you're curious about a new zoo, simply check their website and look for the AZA logo.
There are 2,300 "zoos" in America, and only 10% (or, 230) that are accredited (Aucone, 2020). Please only support the zoos that are ethical and science-based.
Oh, and it's very rare that zoos take animals from the wild. The majority of animals raised under human care were born in zoo settings. The only times I've heard about zoo organizations bringing in wild animals is if that animal was in distress and/or grievously injured; in other words, zoos only acquire wild animals in the event of a rescue. The rest of animals are bred and transferred to appropriate facilities based on something called a Species Survival Plan, or SSP, but that's a topic for another time.
So, in short, support AZA zoos, avoid Tiger King zoos.
References
Antle, B. (2016) White Tiger: Color of Controversy. Retrieved on March 8, 2022, from https://docantle.blog/tag/aza/#:~:text=We%20are%20accredited%20by%20the,and%20houses%20approximately%20100%20animals.
Association of Zoos and Aquariums (2022). About AZA Accreditation- AZA logo. Retrieved on March 3, 2022, from https://www.aza.org/what-is-accreditation
Aucone, B. (2020). Accreditation is Everything. Retrieved from Denver Zoo- Zoo Tales on March 8, 2022, from https://denverzoo.org/zootales/accreditation-is-everything/
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