COLUMBUS, Ohio — After being informed in October that the Association of Zoos and Aquariums would strip the zoo of accreditation, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium announced Monday it lost its appeal of the AZA’s decision.

What You Need To Know

  • The Columbus Zoo will lost a prestigious accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums

  • The loss of accreditation comes as the zoo has encountered numerous scandals in recent years

  • The zoo will no long be part of groups, which could impact species conservation programs at the zoo

  • Zoo members could also no longer be able to take advantage of reciprocal admission at other zoos

The zoo said Monday it was “disappointed” by the decision, but new zoo president and CEO Tom Schmid added that the zoo’s work will move forward. 

“In the last nine months, the zoo team has moved mountains to make transformative changes that continue to make us a better zoo with new team members, new policies and more oversights that were in place at the time of the AZA inspection in July," he said.

An AZA commission evaluates operations and animal welfare at zoos. Losing accreditation could affect which animals are brought into the zoo and could pose a risk for the loss of funding, depending on whether the decision affects the trust of donors.

The lack of AZA accreditation could also restrict staff from continuing their roles in the Species Survival Program and prevent participation in breeding programs, which could impact species conservation programs, according to the zoo.  

Aside from allegations that former management misused funds, a recent documentary made allegations against the zoo's former director, Jack Hanna. "The Conservation Game" claimed Hanna had ties to the big cat trade across the country, and since then, the zoo has cut ties with animal organizations that were mentioned in the film. 

"Since the film's limited public screenings, I have been encouraged by the actions and statements from the new leadership at the Columbus Zoo," said "The Conversation Game" film director Michael Webber in a statement to Spectrum News 1 in October. 

Schmid, who officially took the helm last week, said he welcomes the AZA’s scrutiny.

“Being accredited by a third-party professional association is important, so we are exploring all options to continue fulfilling our mission and to continue our work with endangered and threatened species that need our help,” he said. “Without question, the care and welfare of the animals remains our top priority.”

While the zoo will remain open without accreditation, the AZA's decision could have an impact on customers. The zoo said that it does not expect that other zoos and aquariums will honor reciprocal discounts and memberships.

The zoo will start the process of regaining accreditation in 2022 with the hope of becoming accredited again the following year.

Related Stories