SLC’s Tracy Aviary receives accreditation from Association of Zoos and Aquariums again

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Tracy Aviary has once again received accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums after a review by an independent commission.

Accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is considered the “global gold standard” of zoo and aquarium care, according to AZA president and CEO Dan Ashe. Accreditation means that an institution has been evaluated by experts and found to meet established standards and best practices in the field.

Tracy Aviary has received AZA accreditation before, but as part of the process to ensure that zoos and aquariums continue to meet the highest standards of care, facilities must go through the accreditation process every five years.

CEO of Tracy Aviary Tim Brown said, “Our team embraces the process of accreditation because it facilitates a deep dive into everything we do and helps us find opportunities for improvements. This process leads to better outcomes for the animals in our care, our guests and our staff.”

Tracy Aviary is located in Liberty Park, and it also has a nature center at Pia Okwai (Jordan River), both in Salt Lake City. Tracy Aviary works with the community in order to inspire action to conserve birds and habitats, according to their website.

The AZA accreditation process includes an application and a multiple-day on-site inspection of the facility done by an independent team of zoological professionals, where they look at every part of the facility. Aspects that they look at include animal care and well-being, veterinary care, staff training, conservation efforts, and more.

This year, 31 of the 32 applications for accreditation were approved by AZA’s independent Accreditation Commission. Globally, there are 240 AZA-accredited institutions and 14 AZA-accredited facility members. You can find a full list on the AZA website here.

AZA accreditation has been around since the 1970s, when there was growing concern about animal welfare in America’s zoos and aquariums. AZA accreditation has continually increased the standards of care for animals throughout the United States and across the world.

AZA-accredited facilities in Utah include Tracy Aviary, Loveland Living Planet Aquarium in Draper, and Utah’s Hogle Zoo.