Mission Statement

The Zoological Association of America (ZAA) is a non-profit, membership-based, accrediting organization dedicated to responsible wildlife management, conservation, and education.

The ZAA upholds the highest level of professional standards in animal welfare, safety, and ethics.

Purpose

  • Serve the needs of our members and accredited facilities.

  • Support our accredited facilities and provide resources to defend against false allegations and mischaracterizations.

  • Promote legal and ethical methods for sustaining managed wildlife.

  • Encourage responsible conservation of genetics through cooperative propagation programs including both privately funded and publicly funded facilities.

  • Promote high standards and ethics through accreditation programs.

  • Educate the media, policy-makers and the public through advocacy and adherence of best practices.

Objectives

  • Establish professional standards for husbandry, animal care, and safety.

  • Ensure accurate animal and medical records by our members.

  • Enhance the survival of species by the use of professional methods.

  • Ensure an appropriate, safe, and quality existence for animals in human care.

ZAA Members and accredited facilities are ethically bound to support and implement the Mission, Purpose, and Objectives of ZAA and to:

  • Promote wildlife conservation to our visitors and society at large.

  • Cooperate with colleagues and the broader conservation community to assist in animal propagation, husbandry, care and conservation in both the managed and wild populations.

  • Possess and abide by all required federal, state, city, county, local, international and any other related permits.

  • Act in accordance with all federal, state, city, county, local and international laws and regulations.

  • Conduct all affairs ethically and legally with a high degree of professionalism, honesty, integrity and fairness to all concerned.

Factsheets

ZAA History

ZAA was formed in 2005, when members from two earlier organizations, the International Society of Zooculturists (ISZ) and the United Zoological Association (UZA), combined to promote responsible wildlife management, conservation, and education. ZAA has embarked on an exciting new strategic plan for the organization, strengthening its efforts for its members and accredited facilities in animal management programs, animal care and welfare, legislative efforts, marketing, public relations, education programs, professional development, crisis management, and more.

1987 - International Society of Zooculturists (ISZ)

In 1987, Ron Blakely, then the Director of the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas, who was also a co-founder of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), invited animal professionals from both the public and private sectors to meet and propose the creation of an organization that would deal more personally with "animal-only" related issues and concerns, without the distractions of marketing, graphics, gift shops, etc. A need for such an organization was identified by all present and the "International Society of Zooculturists" was formed.

2000 - United Zoological Association (UZA)

In 2000, professionals representing publicly and privately owned animal collections met to discuss problems that were not being addressed by other organizations. As a result, the "United Zoological Association" (UZA) was formed.

2005 - Zoological Association of America (ZAA)

In 2003, ISZ and UZA became sister organizations - ISZ for individuals and UZA for facilities. In February 2005, ISZ and UZA combined to form the Zoological Association of America (ZAA). ZAA is a non-profit, membership-based, accrediting organization dedicated to responsible wildlife management, conservation, and education.