Abilene Zoo snags accreditation from Association of Zoos & Aquariums

April 03--The Abilene Zoo's recent accreditation by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums is something of a badge of honor for the facility, said zoo director Bill Gersonde.

"It's kind of like you're in the top 10 percent of facilities in the nation," Gersonde said, placing Abilene's zoo in the company of more than 220 other institutions with the designation.

To be accredited, the Abilene Zoo underwent a thorough review to ensure that it has met, and will continue to meet, a set of "ever-rising standards," according to a statement from the AZA, including animal care, veterinary programs, conservation, education and safety.

The AZA requires zoos and aquariums to successfully complete the rigorous accreditation process every five years.

"They want to know everything," Gersonde said, noting that the initial application is extensive.

For applications that meet the group's standards, the AZA sends out an inspection team for a two-day stint, he said.

"They look in every nook, cranny and corner; they review animal records and other records; and they do the on-site inspection," Gersonde said.

Aspects including animal care; keeper training; safety for visitors, staff and animals; educational programs; conservation efforts; veterinary programs; financial stability; risk management; and visitor services are closely examined.

Afterward, top zoo officials appear before the group's accreditation commission, Gersonde said. At that point, AZA accreditation is either granted, tabled or denied.

Institutions that are denied may reapply one year after the commission's decision, according to the AZA.

"There's no guarantee once you get accredited -- and you go through this process every five years -- that you're going to get it again," Gersonde said.

Only zoos and aquariums that "meet the highest standards" are accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, said Jim Maddy, the group's president and CEO, in a statement.

"The (Abilene) community should take great pride in knowing that the Abilene Zoo is a proven leader in the care and conservation of wildlife and in inspiring people to take action to protect the natural world," Maddy said.

Gersonde, who became zoo director in November 2010, said he hoped the "whole community" would be proud of the designation.

"It takes the whole community to make it happen," he said. "If we didn't have folks coming through the gate and buying stuffed animals and eating hot dogs ... all those funds go back into the zoo. We wouldn't be able to accomplish what we did."

The AZA first accredited the Abilene Zoo in 1985, according to Reporter-News archives.

In March 2009, the AZA tabled the zoo's request to be reaccredited, citing a variety of needed improvements in its veterinary and quarantine facilities, plus a need to change its approach to maintenance so that staff could devote more time to exhibiting animals, environmental enrichment and research.

The zoo director at the time, Bill Baker, resigned about a month before the zoo was reaccredited in March 2010, citing personal reasons.

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