Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium regains 'gold standard' accreditation from AZA after exacting process

The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium earned accreditation from the prestigious Association of Zoos & Aquariums, the nonprofit organization announced Thursday.

The move comes nearly 10 years after the zoo dropped the accreditation following a disagreement with the AZA over its policy limiting zookeepers’ unprotected contact with elephants.

Since then, the zoo “has made steady updates to procedures that reflect these standards and maintained constant checks on animal welfare,” facility officials said.

In the intervening years, the zoo was accredited by other organizations. But the AZA accreditation marks the “gold standard” in the field, according to a statement from the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium. The AZA is one of the oldest accrediting organizations for zoos and aquariums in the United States and has a strenuous application and multi-day inspection process.

Of the roughly 2,800 wildlife parks, petting farms, zoos, and other animal exhibitions licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture across the country, less than 10% are AZA-accredited — a group that now includes the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium.

“Accreditation by the AZA reinforces our dedicated staff’s steadfast commitment to our animals, their care and conservation, and nature education,” Pittsburgh Zoo president & CEO Jeremy Goodman said in a statement. Having the zoo reaccredited by the AZA has been one of Goodman’s biggest priorities since he took over the role in 2021.

“We are very proud to add this prestigious honor to our list of certifications and look forward to continuing to partner with the community to make the world better for wildlife.”

Goodman added that “all aspects of zoo operation were analyzed,” including the facility’s finances, veterinary care, conservation efforts, animal safety and well-being, and even items in the gift shop.

The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium and its International Conservation Center in Somerset County received praise from AZA inspectors on the “excellent overall health of the animals” in their care, as well as their “commitment to embrace green initiatives and provide conservation education in an engaging manner.”

Zoo officials must continually adhere to AZA standards (including the stricter guidelines for interacting with elephants that were at issue in 2015) to remain accredited.

Accreditation with AZA will provide Pittsburgh’s zoo with access to the nonprofit organization’s programs and services, such as animal exchanges, access to additional funding and grants, and periodic evaluations by impartial experts. It also allows access to the AZA’s flagship “Species Survival Plan,” described on the group’s website as a program meant to “maintain a healthy, genetically diverse and demographically stable population for the long-term future.”

People with a zoo membership will gain access to discounted admissions AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums that participate in the AZA’s Reciprocal Admissions program starting in January 2025.

Earning the accreditation “reflects excellence and unwavering dedication to the highest standards of animal care and conservation,” said AZA president and CEO Dan Ashe.

“We are proud, once again, to count the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium as an accredited member,” he added. “This achievement is the result of commitment and dedication to be the incredible zoological facility that the city of Pittsburgh deserves.”