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Abbreviation | WAZA |
---|---|
Predecessor | Union of Directors of Zoological Gardens (IUDZG) |
Formation | 1935 |
Founded at | Basel, Switzerland |
Focus | To guide, encourage and support the zoos, aquariums and like‑minded organisations of the world in animal care and welfare, environmental education and global conservation. |
Headquarters | Barcelona, Spain |
Region | Worldwide |
WAZA Staff | |
Website | www |
Formerly called | World Zoo Organization |
Member of IUCN |
The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) is the "umbrella" organization for the world zoo and aquarium community. Its mission is to provide leadership and support for zoos, aquariums, and partner organizations of the world in animal care and welfare, conservation of biodiversity, environmental education and global sustainability.
After the International Union of Directors of Zoological Gardens (IUDZG), founded in 1935 at Basel, Switzerland, ceased to exist during World War II, it was refounded in Rotterdam in 1946 by a group of zoo directors from allied or neutral countries. In 1950 IUDZG became an international organisation member of International Union for the Protection of Nature.
In 1991 the IUDZG adopted a new name, World Zoo Organization, and revised its membership rules to include regional zoo associations. [1]
In 2000 the organization got its current name, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, to reflect a more modern institution working together at a global level. The association wants to build cooperative approaches to common needs, tackle common issues, share information and knowledge. WAZA also represents the zoo community in other international bodies such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature or at Conferences of the Parties to global Conventions, such as CITES, Convention on Biological Diversity or Convention on Migrating Species.
All members of the WAZA network are obliged to comply with "WAZA's Code of Ethics and Animal Welfare", adopted by WAZA in 2003.
Members of the association include leading zoos and aquariums, and regional and national Associations of Zoos and Aquariums as well as some affiliate organizations, such as zoo veterinarians or zoo educators, from all around the world. Together they are 'United for Conservation'.
WAZA institutional members includes more than 250 zoos and aquaria. [2]
In addition, about 1300 zoos are linked to WAZA through membership in one of the about 25 regional or national association members. [3]
Outside of the WAZA associations with direct memberships, there are also regional organizations who are members of the WAZA through an affiliated regional organization.
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Type | Region | Association | Abbreviation | Remark |
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National | Portugal | Associação Portuguesa de Zoos e Aquários | APZA | Member of WAZA through membership of EAZA [5] |
National | Poland | Association of Directors of Polish Zoological Gardens and Aquariums | RDPOZA/IPOZiA | Member of WAZA through membership of EAZA [5] |
National | Romania | Romanian Zoo and Aquaria Federation | SZAF / FBZAR | Member of WAZA through membership of EAZA [5] |
Members of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the wider WAZA Network undertake or support thousands of in situ , or combined ex situ -in situ projects. It is estimated that zoos, aquariums and zoo and aquarium associations jointly expend in excess of 50 million euros per year for such projects. Reintroduction and restocking projects have been undertaken with about 200 species. In addition, in situ activities include now often also educational programmes aimed at the local people and at the politicians, biological programmes (research and monitoring), socio-economic projects, social work among the local people, public relations activities and much more on a national and international scale – all in order to secure the conservation efforts far into the future.
Since these efforts are largely invisible to the general public, in 2003 WAZA started allowing organisations to request and use the WAZA brand on projects executed or supported by the WAZA constituency. [6] Currently more than 150 projects around the world are WAZA branded.
In 1993, The World Zoo Organisation (IUDZG) and the Captive Breeding Specialist Group of The World Conservation Union (IUCN) published The World Zoo Conservation Strategy. That strategy defined, for the first time in a single document, the responsibilities and opportunities that the international zoo and aquarium community needed, in order to be fully involved in nature conservation. The pressures and threats to wildlife remain and have indeed increased. The need for help in conservation has intensified. It is therefore an opportune time for all zoos and aquariums to re-examine the ways and means by which they can consolidate and increase their support and involvement in conservation. In 2005 a revised, second strategy, "Building a Future for Wildlife: the World Zoo and Aquarium Conservation Strategy", was published by the World Zoo and Aquarium Association (WAZA). This document reinforces and expands the overall themes of the first document and presents a vision of the roles that all zoos and aquariums can and must play in the conservation of wildlife and of their ecosystems. The 72-page document, which is the result of assistance and advice from over 350 people, is truly international in its scope and in its production. The Strategy is aimed at all zoos and aquariums, however large or small, however rich or poor, and not just those that are members of WAZA. The Strategy provides a common philosophy for zoos and aquariums across the globe and defines the standards and policies that are necessary to achieve their goals in conservation. The 2005 Strategy will be of use and interest not to only zoo and aquarium people but to anyone concerned with biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. The document begins with a supportive foreword from the Director General of The World Conservation Union (IUCN), and a preface by the President of WAZA and by the Chair of the WAZA Conservation Committee, that set out the genesis and production of the Strategy. The document comprises nine chapters, with each chapter having a summary, a vision statement, a main text, conclusions, and a series of recommendations. This Strategy will be used by individual zoos and aquariums, by national and regional associations, and by WAZA itself, as the basis for the development of action plans for the implementation of the recommendations.
The document is available today in English, German and Russian. Bahasa, French, Japanese and Polish versions, as well as Urdu, Hindi, Bengali or Bangla, Dari and Singala summaries are currently under preparation.
In 2009, the World Zoo and Aquarium Conservation Strategy (WZACS) was especially implemented for the international aquarium community in the document entitled Turning the Tide: A Global Aquarium Strategy for Conservation and Sustainability.
International studbooks for endangered and rare species are kept under the auspices of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). In most cases, staff of WAZA member institutions serve as studbook keepers. The International Studbook Office is hosted by the Zoological Society of London, and a staff member of the WAZA executive office acts as International Studbook Coordinator. Within WAZA, the Committee on Population Management (CPM) is the body dealing primarily with studbook issues. As of March 2008, there were 183 international studbooks including all subspecies and species that are kept as separate studbooks. Altogether, there are studbooks (international and regional) and/or breeding programmes for more than 850 different taxa.
Conservation breeding programmes (such as the Species Survival Plan (SSP), established 1981, or the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), established 1985) are typically organized at the level of the regional associations, in particular AZA and EAZA, because the exchange of animals between regions is expensive and - mainly due to veterinary restrictions - difficult. At its 2003 Annual Meeting, however, WAZA adopted a procedure for establishing interregional programmes, which may concern a number of species for which International Studbooks have been established.
Until today only few of the rare, endangered or extinct-in-the-wild species could be saved from complete extinction by keeping and breeding them in human care. But it may be well too early to really evaluate the contribution of zoos breeding programmes to the preservation of biodiversity.
WAZA works in partnership with international organisations with a view to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. Two examples of WAZA supported projects on the occasion of the International Year of the Gorilla 2009 are:
The Nouabalé - Ndoki Project in Democratic Republic of the Congo is supported by the WCS (USA), Toronto Zoo (Canada), La Palmyre Zoo (France), La Vallée des Singes (France), USAID (CARPE program), USFWS, and FFEM. Since the early 90s, WCS aims to help conserve biodiversity in Congo by working with the government, local communities and private sector partners to adopt a landscape scale management approach, establishing and maintaining a network of well-managed protected areas, including the Nouabalé - Ndoki National Park.
Conservation of the Cross River gorilla in Nigeria, implemented by Kolmarden Foundation, the Great Ape Trust of Iowa (Iowa Zoo), Columbus Zoo, Zoo Boise, supported by Wildlife Conservation Society (Bronx Zoo), Great Ape Conservation Fund (US Fish and Wildlife Service), African Great Apes Programme (WWF), Margot Marsh Biodiversity Foundation, Berggorilla and Regenwald Direkthilfe, North Carolina Zoo. The Cross River gorilla project in Nigeria has four main components:
WAZA provides interactive, structured educational workshops, classes, and resources tailored to meet the specific needs of groups, zoos and aquariums and contribute to learning and understanding as part of local and national curricula frameworks. Many zoos now have an education department, a classroom, and full-time educational officers.
WAZA encourages all of its staff to participate in local, national, regional and international networks such as the International Zoo Educators Association (IZEA) and its regional groups.
A permanent Executive Office has been established in October 2001. The Office was located in the centre of Bern, Switzerland at this time. From May 2010 to September 2018, the WAZA Executive Office was situated in the heart of IUCN's newly built Conservation Centre in Gland, Switzerland. The permanent executive office of WAZA is currently located in the city of Barcelona, Spain. [7]
Under a MOU it provides also secretariat support to the International Zoo Educators Association (IZEA).
This is an index of conservation topics. It is an alphabetical index of articles relating to conservation biology and conservation of the natural environment.
Marwell Zoo is a 140-acre (57 ha) zoo situated in Colden Common near Winchester, in the English county of Hampshire. It is owned and run by the registered charity Marwell Wildlife. The zoo is home to 1,208 animals of 149 species. The charity undertakes a range of educational and conservation activities, with a particular focus on Africa in addition to work from its base.
Captive breeding, also known as captive propagation, is the process of keeping plants or animals in controlled environments, such as wildlife reserves, zoos, botanic gardens, and other conservation facilities. It is sometimes employed to help species that are being threatened by the effects of human activities such as climate change, habitat loss, fragmentation, overhunting or fishing, pollution, predation, disease, and parasitism.
Orang National Park is a national park in India located on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra River in the Darrang and Sonitpur districts of Assam. It covers an area of 79.28 km2 (30.61 sq mi). It was established as a sanctuary in 1985 and declared a national park on 13 April 1999. It is rich in flora and fauna, including great Indian rhinoceros, pygmy hog, Asian elephant, wild water buffalo and the Bengal tiger. It is the only stronghold of the rhinoceros on the north bank of the Brahmaputra.
Zoo Landau in der Pfalz is a 4-hectare (9.9-acre) zoo in Landau in der Pfalz, Germany. It was founded in 1904. The governing body is the municipality of the city of Landau in der Pfalz (Landau/Palatinate/Germany). The zoo is situated in the city center, along the historic remains of a French fort. The average yearly number of paying visitors is between 155,000 and 170,000. The zoo is home to about 600 animals representing 110 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. The current total number of employees is 20.
The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) is an organisation for the European zoo and aquarium community that links over 340 member organisations in 41 countries. EAZA membership is open to all zoos and aquaria across Europe that comply with EAZA's standards. The organisation is administered and headquartered at Natura Artis Magistra in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Nandankanan Zoological Park is a 437-hectare (1,080-acre) zoo and botanical garden located in Baranga village, Odisha, India. It is 10 km to south of Cuttack and 10 km north of Bhubaneswar. Established in 1960, it was opened to the public in 1979 and became the first zoo in India to join World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) in 2009. It also contains a botanical garden and part of it has been declared a sanctuary. Nandankanan, literally meaning The Garden of Heaven, is located in the environs of the Chandaka forest, and includes the 134-acre (54 ha) Kanjia lake.
Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums is an accreditation and advocacy organization representing zoos and aquariums within Canada. The organization states that its member zoos and aquariums care for more than 100,000 individual animals representing over 2000 species of wildlife, observed by an estimated 11 million visitors each year. The organization is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) is a registered charity and the professional body representing over 100 zoos and aquariums in Britain and Ireland.
The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) is the body of the Government of India responsible for oversight of zoos. It is an affiliate member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).
The Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums is an organisation for the zoo and aquarium community in Japan. As of April 30, 2021, JAZA has 90 member zoos and 50 member aquariums. JAZA seeks to protect nature and animals through educational and conservation outreach.
The Amphibian Ark is an organization that focuses on the conservation of amphibian populations by planning and implementing ex situ programs in zoos and wildlife organizations around the world.
The EAZA Ex-situ Programme (EEP) is a population management and conservation programme by European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) for wild animals living in European zoos. The programme was formerly known as the European Endangered Species Programme.
Species360, founded in 1974, an international non-profit organization that maintains an online database of wild animals under human care. As of 2023, the organization serves more than 1,300 zoos, aquariums and zoological associations on six continents and in 102 countries worldwide. The organization provides its members with zoological data collection and management software called ZIMS—the Zoological Information Management System.
Southeast Asian Zoo Association (SEAZA) is the regional organization of zoos for Southeast Asia. It represents around 90 different conservatories and zoos in Southeast Asia. SEAZA became a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) in 1990. SEAZA Headquarters are currently located in Taiwan. SEAZA is considered a sister organization to the South Asian Zoo Association for Regional Cooperation (SAZARC), which organizes zoos in Nepal, India and other countries in South Asia. Although they preside over two similar regions, the cultures and policies of the regions are too different for a single organization to govern both. The main goals of the SEAZA are to, "Strengthen in-situ conservation and management plans, to increase captive breading through research, to improve standards of non human animal welfare, to provide better recreational learning experiences for zoo visitors, to educate the public about the importance of wildlife conservation, and to promote tourism in Southeast Asia." Achieving SEAZA's goals is particularly important as Southeast Asia is one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world, but rapid, recent economic growth of these countries has caused this rare ecosystem to be put in jeopardy. However, today SEAZA is facing significant challenges that is putting its future viability in jeopardy.
The Mulhouse Zoological and Botanical Park is a French zoological park located in the Grand Est region in the departement of Haut-Rhin, in the southeast of the city of Mulhouse, district of Rebberg. Created in 1868 by philanthropists industrialists, led by Charles Thierry-Mieg son, he was successively the property of the Cercle mulhousien, of the Industrial Society of Mulhouse, and then of the City from 1893. It is now managed by the agglomeration community of Mulhouse region, Mulhouse Alsace Agglomération. Its director is, since 2010, the veterinary Brice Lefaux.
Wild Planet Trust, formerly known as the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust (WWCT), is a registered charity, set up to run Paignton Zoo after the death of its founder, Herbert Whitley, who established the zoo on his estate at Primley, Paignton in Devon in the 1920s.
The breeding programs at Zoo Basel have had many highlights since the zoo's opening in 1874. These include the worldwide first zoo births of an Indian rhinoceros and greater flamingo hatch, as well as the first European gorilla birth. Due to Zoo Basel's successful breeding programs, it manages the international studbook for the Indian rhinoceros and the pygmy hippopotamus, as well as several European studbooks.
Manfred Niekisch is a German biologist. He was professor for international nature conservation and director of Frankfurt Zoo (2008-2017).
The International Zoo Educators Association (IZE) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the education programmes in zoos and aquariums.