The Association of Zoos and Aquariums managed over 450 animal programs, including Species Survival Plan programs, Population Management plans and Reintroduction to the Wild initiatives. This nonprofit organization began in 1924 as an instrument of zoo conservation, animal research and a way of enforcing the Animal Welfare Act. AZA-accredited zoos care for over 900,000 animals and generate more than $8.4 billion each year, which is no small feat! The prestige that this organization brings to a zoo is unquestionable, but more important is the amount of clamor they bring to the public sphere.

The AZA has many zoo conservation programs underway. In 2007, they announced some of their greatest success stories. For instance, the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle nests are being protected along the Mexican Gulf Coast, with hundreds being added each year. Grevy’s zebras are being conserved in Kenya, thanks to the work of a Saint Louis Zoo. The Great White Shark is being preserved at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where the animal exhibit hopes to change the public’s perception of these infamous trophy creatures. Butterfly monitoring in Florida, marmots at the Toronto Zoo and bald eagles in San Francisco are all successful programs underway.

Anne Warner, zoo conservation manager at the Oregon Zoo, said their $6.8 million “Predators of the Serengeti animal exhibit hopes to draw more attention to the plight of the cheetah, African lion and painted dog. She explains, “Visitors have to understand why it’s important to help — why support conservation?” At the artistic, innovative exhibit, guests will come nose-to-nose with lions, a caracal, African wild dogs and rock pythons that appear as though they’re lounging at a wildlife sanctuary, rather than a zoo. Careful landscaping, heated dens and waterfalls all make the animals’ realm more comfortable, as visitors are invited to imagine a world without these magnificent animals.

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