Benefits of Accreditation
Public Trust
- Provides the public with essential connections to the natural world;
- Develops public confidence by means that an institution meets or exceeds current professional standards;
- Provides a publicly recognized badge signifying excellence in, and commitment to, such things as animal management and welfare, safety, conservation and education; and
- Distinguishes AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums from "roadside zoos" and for-profit menageries.
Benefits for the Accredited Zoo or Aquarium
- Membership in AZA;
- Increases eligibility for funding and grants from certain foundations, corporations and other sources;
- Cuts red tape (exempts institutions from certain government requirements, primarily at the state level);
- Promotes professional recognition from the top zoological parks and aquariums in the United States;
- Provides impartial evaluation on a periodic basis by professional experts;
- Promotes excellence within the institution by causing an institution to continuously evaluate itself;
- Provides staff an invaluable opportunity to learn from other institutions;
- Representation, through AZA leadership, at the global level for meetings, discussions, and conferences involving international trade agreements and best practices for species conservation and management (CITES, IUCN, etc.)
- Fosters staff and community pride; and
- Significantly improves the ability to attract and retain a high quality, professional staff.
Access to Critical AZA Programs and Services
- Participation in Animal Exchange (access to specimens from other AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums for loan and/or breeding);
- Opportunities for collaboration and consultation with AZA colleagues who are top experts in their fields;
- Participation in the Species Survival Plan, AZA's flagship Animal Conservation Program;
- Access to AZA’s Accreditation Resource Center;
- Free and discounted admission to AZA accredited institutions for collegial information-sharing, and much more.