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Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA; ) 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 The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...
and the
World Association of Zoos and Aquariums 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 ...
.


Founding

The organization was founded in 1975 at a conference of the
Association of Zoos and Aquariums The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), originally the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AAZPA), is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1924 and dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aqu ...
(then named the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums).


Name changes

The organization's original name was Canadian Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums - L'Association Canadienne des Jardins Zoologiques et des Aquariums. In 1997 the name was changed to the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums – L'Association des Zoos et Aquariums du Canada. In 2012, the name was changed again to its current name, Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums - Aquariums et Zoos Accrédités du Canada (CAZA-AZAC).


Accreditation program

CAZA-AZAC's main vehicle is its accreditation program. Standards of conduct are set out for animal care, animal transport, human and animal contact; as well as operational matters such as staffing, physical facilities, and emergency preparation. Inspection teams, including at least one veterinarian and a senior zoology professional, audit all aspects of the operation of the potential member. Members must agree to a Code of Ethics. Included in the Code is agreeing to "Ensure that when animals are obtained from the wild, that such acquisitions will not have a deleterious effect upon the wild population and are acquired incorporating all legal and ethical approval methods and documentation." Further, mutilation of any animal for a cosmetic purpose or changing the animal's physical appearance without valid husbandry or medical reasons is also not permitted. Full re-inspections of members' facilities are made every five years. If, during that period, a concern is raised about any aspect of a member institution, the Accreditation Commission or Ethics Committee may conduct an interim review.


Conservation

The organization states that member organizations have a long history of working to restore biodiversity and preserve species in Canada and abroad, collaborating regularly with government agencies, NGO's and volunteer organizations with those aims. Members "participate in close to 800 conservation and science programs within their facilities and are directly involved in 20 field projects, most linked directly to helping save endangered species." The organization's Canadian Endangered Species Program (CESP) offers long-term breeding and conservation plans to aid selected Canadian endangered species, including the
Vancouver Island marmot The Vancouver Island marmot (''Marmota vancouverensis'') is a species of marmot endemic to Vancouver Island, in British Columbia. It is one of only five land mammals endemic to Canada. Distribution ''M. vancouverensis'' lives above 1000 metres ...
,
burrowing owl The burrowing owl (''Athene cunicularia''), also called the shoco, is a small, long-legged, primarily terrestrial—though not flightless—species of owl native to the open landscapes of North and South America. They are typically found in gra ...
,
spotted owl The spotted owl (''Strix occidentalis'') is a species of true owl. It is a resident species of old-growth forests in western North America, where it nests in tree hollows, old bird of prey nests, or rock crevices. Nests can be between high a ...
,
loggerhead shrike The loggerhead shrike (''Lanius ludovicianus'') is a passerine bird in the family Laniidae. It is the only member of the shrike family endemic to North America; the related northern shrike (''L. borealis'') occurs north of its range, however it ...
,
wolverine The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
,
black-footed ferret The black-footed ferret (''Mustela nigripes''), also known as the American polecatHeptner, V. G. (Vladimir Georgievich); Nasimovich, A. A; Bannikov, Andrei Grigorovich; Hoffmann, Robert S. (2001)''Mammals of the Soviet Union''Volume: v. 2, pt. 1 ...
,
whooping crane The whooping crane (''Grus americana'') is an endangered Crane (bird), crane species, native to North America, named for its "whooping" calls. Along with the sandhill crane (''Antigone canadensis''), it is one of only two crane species native to ...
, and the
Oregon spotted frog The Oregon spotted frog (''Rana pretiosa'', meaning "precious frog") is a member of the frog family Ranidae of order Anura. It is a medium-sized aquatic frog endemic to the Pacific Northwest and historically well distributed in the Puget Trough/ ...
. In 2012, it was reported that since the burrowing owl recovery efforts began in British Columbia in 1992, over 1,244 captive bred owls had been released and over 700 artificial burrows had been established. These efforts involved the Burrowing Owl Conservation Society, the
British Columbia Wildlife Park The British Columbia Wildlife Park is a zoo located in Kamloops, British Columbia. The British Columbia Wildlife Park is an accredited member of the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA). History The proposal In 1965, the Kamloops ...
and more recently the
Calgary Zoo The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is located in Bridgeland, Calgary, Bridgeland, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, just east of the city's Downtown Calgary, downtown and adjacent to the Inglewood, Calgary, Inglewood and Downtown East Village, Calgary, Ea ...
.


Advocacy

In 2013, the organization advocated for more stringent provincial rules on exotic animals and the licensing of zoos and aquariums, raising their concerns at a meeting of the Atlantic Canada Mayor's Congress. Former Executive Directo
Massimo Bergamini
stated: "The mayors know first hand the public safety, animal welfare and environmental issues that can arise when exotic animals are not properly cared for; just as they know that municipal governments do not have the legislative authority or the inspection and enforcement resources adequate to the task". The mayors adopted a resolution supporting CAZA's position and intended to raise it with the
Federation of Canadian Municipalities The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM, ''Fédération canadienne des municipalités'') is an advocacy group representing over 2000 Canadian municipalities. It is an organization with no formal power but significant ability to influence ...
and their provincial governments. In May 2014, the
Federation of Canadian Municipalities The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM, ''Fédération canadienne des municipalités'') is an advocacy group representing over 2000 Canadian municipalities. It is an organization with no formal power but significant ability to influence ...
' members passed an emergency resolution from the Atlantic Mayors' Congress on the same issue. The resolution called on "the federal government to play a leadership role in forging a pan-Canadian approach to exotic animal regulation" and supported "the efforts of Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) for more stringent rules on exotic animals and the licensing of zoos and aquariums." The Atlantic mayors pushed for the resolution in response to a tragedy in August 2013, when two
Campbellton, New Brunswick Campbellton is a city in Restigouche County, New Brunswick, Restigouche County, New Brunswick, Canada. Situated on the south bank of the Restigouche River opposite Pointe-à-la-Croix, Quebec, Pointe-à-la-Croix, Quebec, Campbellton was officially ...
boys lost their lives after they were asphyxiated in their sleep by an African rock python.


Publications

The organization's website sets out policies and position statements on a number of issues, such as the limited use of wild or exotic animals for performances, and around the issue of captive dolphins and whales."CAZA Position on: Maintenance and Display of Cetaceans (whales and dolphins) In Human Care"
, CAZA-AZAC, October 1, 2008.


Controversy


Captive marine mammals

Zoos and aquariums are under increasing public pressure to stop keeping captive marine mammals and other wildlife.
Humane Society International Humane World for Animals, formerly called Humane Society International (HSI) was founded in 1991 as the international division of The Humane Society of the United States. HSI expanded the HSUS's activities into Central and South America, Afr ...
states that inhumane whale and dolphin captures take place routinely around the world, resulting in many deaths; marine mammals in captivity have a history of premature deaths; and captive enclosures cannot simulate the complexity of the ocean and coasts. CAZA does not appear to have issued a new policy on the maintenance and display of whales and dolphins since 2008.


Marineland quality of care

One of CAZA's accredited members,
Marineland of Canada Marineland (official name Marineland of Canada Inc.) was a themed zoo and amusement park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada that operated from 1961 until 2024. It was founded and operated by John Holer, a Slovenian immigrant, from 1961 un ...
, has been under intense public pressure for its treatment of animals. CAZA investigated after receiving complaints, finding that "the marine mammals were in overall good health and there was no evidence of animal abuse, that water quality in all the pools was very good, and it appeared that staffing levels were adequate"; although examining records and interviewing ex-employees raised questions about how effectively the water quality systems in some pools were working. MarineLand agreed to undertake an engineering study of its water quality systems, and in the interim, MarineLand agreed to unannounced inspections. At the same time, the
Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society (Ontario SPCA) is a registered Canadian charity focused on animal protection and animal advocacy. In the spring of 2009, the Ontario SPCA introduced the model of high-volume spay/neuter to the Province of Ont ...
did their own investigation of both the marine and land animals, raising "some areas of concern where certain deficiencies exist" and later issued six orders, which MarineLand completed by April 2013. The organization Zoocheck Canada criticized CAZA's findings, stating they showed "just how ineffective the organization is and how remarkably low their standards are. Did their inspectors not notice the complete social isolation of Kiska the killer whale, the utterly barren enclosures for both aquatic and terrestrial animals, the complete absence of enrichment, the near permanent sequestering of some
pinniped Pinnipeds (pronounced ), commonly known as seals, are a widely range (biology), distributed and diverse clade of carnivorous, fin-footed, semiaquatic, mostly marine mammals. They comprise the extant taxon, extant families Odobenidae (whose onl ...
s in small indoor cages, the still inappropriate bear enclosure, the uncontrolled public feeding, etc., etc.. And CAZA says nothing about the fact that Marineland has an absurd number (nearly 40 at last count) of beluga whales, most of them wild caught. Even if you believe it's acceptable to keep whales in captivity, what facility needs that many." Protests of conditions at
Marineland of Canada Marineland (official name Marineland of Canada Inc.) was a themed zoo and amusement park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada that operated from 1961 until 2024. It was founded and operated by John Holer, a Slovenian immigrant, from 1961 un ...
continue, with a demonstration on May 17, 2014, when the park opened for the season."Marineland opening day protest"
St. Catharines Standard, May 17, 2014.


See also

*
List of CAZA member zoos and aquariums This is a list of Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums member zoos and aquariums. Members Former members * Bowmanville Zoo – Bowmanville, Ontario – closed on 10 October 2016 * Crystal Gardens Conservation Centre – Victoria, British ...
*
List of zoo associations This is a partial list of zoo and aquarium, aquaria associations: Global * Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (AMMPA) * International Marine Animal Trainers Association (IMATA) * Species 360 (formerly International Species Informatio ...
*
Association of Zoos and Aquariums The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), originally the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AAZPA), is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1924 and dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aqu ...
*
World Association of Zoos and Aquariums 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 ...


References


External links


Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums
{{authority control Zoos in Canada Aquaria in Canada Zoo associations Trade associations based in Canada