The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden celebrated its 150th anniversary this past weekend with birthday bargains for visitors and big recognition on the national stage.
Guests could enjoy $15 admission, $1.50 rides and giraffe feedings, and there were special enrichments for the animals on Saturday. At the same time, the zoo used the weekend to mark a pair of major honors: renewed accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and an international award for its conservation work in Africa.
“We’ve been accredited by AZA since 1978, but getting re-accredited is not something we take for granted,” said director Thane Maynard. “AZA takes the accreditation process seriously, and member organizations have to demonstrate excellence and adherence to the highest standards to remain in the Association.”
The reaccreditation process includes a rigorous application and an on-site review of animal care, veterinary programs, education, conservation and safety. Zoos must successfully complete the review every five years.
Maynard, who’s been the zoo’s director for 19 years, has participated in the extensive process five times. He noted that the review committee provided great feedback and “was complimentary of our sustainability work and conservation initiatives.”
“It’s a lot of work,” Maynard said, “but it makes us a stronger organization and helps us to continue to set the bar high for ourselves and stay a world-class zoo.”
International recognition for work in Africa
At this week’s AZA Conference in Tampa, Florida, the Cincinnati Zoo recognition continued. It received the William G. Conway International Conservation Award for “Empowering Coexistence: An Indigenous Leadership Program for Biodiversity Conservation and Community Resilience,” a partnership with the South Rift Association of Land Owners (SORALO) in Kenya.
The program works to establish a series of community-led conservation in Kenya’s South Rift, a corridor vital to lions, elephants, cheetahs, giraffes and other threatened species. By working with Indigenous Maasai communities, it promotes sustainable land management and strategies to reduce human-wildlife conflict.
“We are thrilled to have received this award. Empowering coexistence is the pathway to a better world for people and wildlife, said Dr. Lily Maynard, the zoo’s director of global conservation. She went on to voice excitement about being able to share the recognition with its SORALO partners and for the past 20 years of working together – and for recently deepened joint commitment to conservation efforts.
Through this expanded approach, more than two dozen Cincinnati Zoo staff members have been able to travel to SORALO to support strategic planning, sustainability initiatives, building capacity, research projects and much more, Lily Maynard said.
“We believe lasting impact comes from active, capacity-building partnerships,” she added.
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