Photo: Alamy
“Given the number and gravity of concerns that the inspection team identified, the Commission concluded that although Columbus is working hard to correct the issues, the zoo should not be accredited at this time,” Dan Ashe, AZA president and CEO, said in the statement.
The Ohio zoo, which had been accredited with the body since 1980,argued in its own statementthat the AZA had the option to table the accreditation for a year rather than pull it entirely, “giving the Zoo time for the changes and improvements to be sustained for a longer time.”
The Columbus Zoo has since notified the AZA of its intent to appeal the decision, and has 30 days to do so. Should the appeal be denied, the zoo will be eligible for reaccreditation in September 2022, per the AZA.
Alamy
He added, “These changes were in place prior to the accreditation inspection and have been sustained since.”
To address its accreditation problems, the zoo said that additional committee oversight and operational changes have helped Columbus Zoo become compliant with the AZA’s requirements. The day before losing its accreditation, the Columbus Zoo named Tom Schmid as its new president and CEO, per the release.
Ashe called the move “welcome and encouraging” but felt more time is needed “to let these and other changes take hold.”
“Although we are sad at losing a member, we believe this exemplifies what distinguishes AZA accreditation, helping earn its reputation as the global ‘gold standard’ for modern zoos and aquariums,” he said in the AZA release.
A documentary released in August calledThe Conservation Gameexplores the exploitation of big cats in the exotic animal trade in the U.S. Columbus Zoo director Jack Hanna is alleged as involved in such rings in the film,The Columbus Dispatchreported. Carole Baskin of Netflix’sTiger Kingis among the animal activists featured in the documentary.
source: people.com
