National Accreditation
Lee
Richardson Zoo is
accredited by the
American Zoo and Aquarium Association
(AZA). Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as
your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to
providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you,
and a better future for all living things.
Quality Inspected
Collectively, AZA zoos and aquariums represent the finest
institutions and are visited by more
than 130 million people each year. (That's more people than attended
professional baseball, basketball, football and hockey combined.)
Accreditation is a detailed review and inspection process covering
all aspects of an institution's operation including the animal
collection; veterinary care; physical facilities; safety; security;
finance; staff; governing authority; support organization;
involvement in education, conservation, and research; and adherence
to AZA policies. Accreditation takes place every five years and is
required for zoos and aquariums to be members of AZA.
Saving Wildlife
With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global
conservation and your link to
helping animals in their native habitats through your local AZA
institution. AZA accredited zoos and aquariums are helping to
preserve thousands of animals regionally and around the world
through wildlife conservation programs with an annual average of
over a thousand conservation projects in 90 plus countries along
with hundreds of books, book chapters, journal articles, conference
proceedings papers, posters and theses or dissertations on wildlife
management and biology.
Advocating for Animals
AZA works cooperatively with the U.S. Congress, federal and state
government agencies, and international conservation organizations on
legislative and regulatory matters pertaining to animal welfare,
wildlife conservation field programs,conservation research/education
initiatives, and the public display of wildlife, including animal
care and husbandry, transport and breeding. AZA also participates in
a number of international treaties and conventions impacting
wildlife, including the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES), the International Whaling Commission,
and the Convention on Biological Diversity.
For more
information on any of these efforts, visit
www.aza.org.