Silver Spring, MD – Last week, a federal judge ordered The Gorilla Foundation (the Foundation) to cooperate in good faith with the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden by returning 38–year-old western lowland gorilla Ndume back to a facility accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) as required by a 2015 loan agreement. After multiple delays by the Foundation, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California has ordered the Foundation to... Read More

Silver Spring, Maryland (June 7, 2019)  – Later this evening, CBS “Whistleblower” will air a show titled “SeaWorld: A Case Against Captivity.” The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) contacted the show’s producer and offered to present a counter viewpoint to those presented in the program. The offer was declined. In response, AZA offers the following open letter to the producers at CBS from Dan Ashe, President and CEO of the AZA: Mr. Ted Eccles... Read More

Silver Spring, MD  – The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) has announced its support for the “Extinction Prevention Act of 2019” introduced by U.S. Representative Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-03) on Wednesday, May 22. This bill will create dedicated funds to conserve butterflies in North America, plants in the Pacific Islands, freshwater mussels in the United States, and desert fish in the Southwest United States. This legislation will also make research... Read More

Silver Spring, MD  – Ten talented aquarium and zoo professionals were selected for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP), now in its sixth year. Based on a survey of directors at AZA aquariums and zoos, it is estimated that there will be approximately 20 zoo or aquarium director openings ‎per year for the next 10 years at facilities accredited by AZA. Knowing this, the AZA is proactively providing development... Read More