There are 4 Awards Awarded:
Excellence in Education
Comprehensive Immersion Exhibit Award
Animal Exhibit Award of Excellence
In Situ Conservation
The ZAA Educational Award of Excellence recognizes outstanding achievement and innovation in education program design and implementation.
Teddy Bear Hospital
The Frank Buck Zoo launched its Teddy Bear Hospital program in November 2023 to foster conservation knowledge and STEM career interest among young participants. This innovative event provides an early opportunity for children to engage with animal science, zoology, and veterinary medicine careers.
The ZAA Comprehensive Immersion Exhibit Award recognizes unique and innovative ideas centering on outstanding design immersion to create a holistic approach to the animal/human connection.
Ruins of the Wild: Mayan Jungle
Ruins of the Wild: Mayan Jungle was inspired by ancient Mayan civilizations and the abundance of wildlife that now traverse across its ruined architecture. High towering structures with large staircases climb up out of the landscape like the temples of Tikal, all ornately decorated and carved like the ruins of ChichenItza. This ecosystem once controlled by the powerful Mayan culture, now teeming with all walks of wildlife is the image and location that the Wild Animal Park is creating for its visitors. Educational graphics in conjunction with traditional Mayan architecture grab at guests of all ages, engaging them in the theme and education trying to be achieved. This immersive experience increases visitors connection with nature and in turn creates new stewards for wildlife preservation and conservation of both animals and habitats throughout Central and South America, as well as the world.
The ZAA Animal Exhibit Award of Excellence recognizes excellence in the area of new and unique live animal display, exhibit design and construction.
Capybara Encounter Habitat
The new Capybara Encounter Habitat at African Safari Wildlife Park represents a groundbreaking addition designed to enhance both animal welfare and visitor interaction. This innovative exhibit incorporates advanced techniques and materials to create a naturalistic environment conducive to the capybara's natural behaviors and well-being, while also prioritizing safety, education, and sustainability.
The ZAA In-Situ Conservation Award recognizes significant contributions to enhancing the conservation of an animal species in nature.
A Recipe for “Saving Rhinos”
The conservation area for their effort embraces all areas that are natural habitats for rhinos. Upon the completion of the zoo’s new “Insert Rhino” program, coupled with the opening of the new “Conservation Hall”, they’ve embarked upon several new and innovative means of affording people the ability to make contributions to rhino conservation directly and immediately when visiting. They hosted a very exquisite, choreographed, educational and entertaining dinner/fundraising event that they titled, “an evening of Saving Rhinos”. Thanks to the successful event, Monterey Zoo issued a check to Int. Rhino Foundation for $105,000.00 to be equally distributed towards the conservation efforts in both Sumatra and Africa! $80,000 more than what was to be their initial donation. The recipe worked!
There are 4 Awards Awarded:
Educational Award of Excellence
Significant Propagation and Long Term Commitment to a Single Species
Animal Exhibit Award of Excellence
In Situ Conservation
The ZAA Educational Award of Excellence recognizes outstanding achievement and innovation in education program design and implementation.
Keeper Internship Program
This program launched more than 20 years ago and continues to be full and often holds a waiting list of hopeful, college-aged participants. The newest version encompasses all that it means to be a zookeeper, including daily husbandry tasks, educational programming opportunities, large-event experiences, and enrichment creation for a variety of taxa utilizing a college course-level syllabus. Interns are required to volunteer for two 8.5-hour shifts per week, for a total of at least 180 hours of service during their time at The Zoo, and complete both assigned and self-guided projects.
This award recognizes institutions that have reached significant propagation goals and have dedicated outstanding commitment to a single species.
The Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College
Palos Verdes Blue Butterfly
Initially thought to be extinct, the Paolo Verdes Blue Butterfly was rediscovered in 1994; that last population contained an estimated 69 individuals. To date, a cooperative conservation success story with many partners including The Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College, The Urban Wildlands Group, The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy, U.S. Navy, and more, have produced over 31,000 pupae over 20 seasons and released over 20,000 individuals into the wild spread over 7 different fragments of restored habitat within their historic range.
Gray Wolf
Since 1972, Wolf Park has been committed to gray wolf conservation. Wolf Park’s mission drives us to educate the public on the benefits that wolves provide to our environment. In order to achieve that, their founder, Dr. Erich Klinghammer, believed that socializing wolves reduced stress while allowing care to continue over the life course of the animal. Over the past 52 years, utilizing scientific and practical knowledge, Wolf Park's protocols for raising 30 pup litters evolved, allowing them to ensure that they afford the animals with the best care they can provide. Each litter receives thousands of socialization hours prior to being released back into their habitats to ensure that they are ready for their lives in human care.
Sulawesi Island Macaques
In 1972, the Preserve acquired their first group of Sulawesi Island Macaques and over the last 50 years they have made gradual upgrades to their exhibit which have allowed them to improve husbandry and animal welfare. Their new Ochreata exhibit was constructed 2020-2023 and has allowed them to have space to separate animals if needed but still maintain the group together in the same space. They currently have a very large family group of roughly 30 individuals of Ochreata and 8 Tonkeana. Their Ochreata group ranges from babies to a grandma who is around 23 years old.
The ZAA Animal Exhibit Award of Excellence recognizes excellence in the area of new and unique live animal display, exhibit design and construction.
“Insert RHINO” Exhibit/Project
The exhibit was a retrofit of one originally designed for elephants to accommodate new rhinos in collaboration with other facilities. Species-specific enrichment was added, as well as a dedicated medical space, extra safety features, and an extensive array of cameras for monitoring. Most exhibit features were created in-house and the program has been a great success for both the rhinos and the public.
The ZAA In-Situ Conservation Award recognizes significant contributions to enhancing the conservation of an animal species in nature.
Feline Conservation Foundation
Geoffroy's Cat
The Feline Conservation Foundation's Geoffroy’s Cat Working Group has several action plans in place for conservation of the endangered Geoffroy's Cat, including educational programs and awareness campaigns with local children to reduce future threats. They are also conducting surveys and monitoring of wildcat populations in different regions of their distribution, aligning and applying government policies, creating partnerships and funding for existing rescue, rehabilitation, and release facilities, and implementing actions to reduce pedestrian accidents.
Wolf Park: Next Generation Wildlife Advocates
Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch: Giraffe
Zoosiana: Squirrel Monkey
San Antonio Zoo: Psychedelic Rock Gecko
The Wild Animal Park: "Ruins of the Wild: Monkey Temple"
Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo: Reptile Conservation Center
The Wild Animal Park: African Savanna Passage
Tiger World: Timbavati Lions, Greater Kruger National Park
Columbus Zoo & Aquarium: Eastern Hellbender
The Zoo in Forest Park: Kids Go Wild Program
Metro Richmond Zoo: African Black-Footed Penguin
Tanganyika Wildlife Park: Snow Leopard
Virginia Safari Park: Ruppells Griffon Vulture
Safari North Wildlife Park: Leopards of the Himalayas
ZooWorld: Wanyama Pori African Airstrip Adventure
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center: Antelope Conservation in the Ouadi Achim Reserve, Chad, Africa
Mickey Ollson
Cougar Mountain Zoo: Zoo2U
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center: Addax
Frank Buck Zoo: Three Banded Armadillo
Frank Buck Zoo: Prairie Dog
Dakota Zoo: Black Footed Ferret
San Antonio Zoo: Mexican Freshwater Fish Program
San Antonio Zoo: Will Smith Zoo School
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center: Cheetah
Downtown Aquarium Houston: Common Shovelnose Ray
ZooWorld Zoological and Botanical Conservancy: Allapattah Swamp and Alligator Feeding Experience
Gulf Breeze Zoo: Spirit of Sumatra Program
Six Flags Great Adventure: Wild Encounters, Silver Safari, and Safari Off Road Adventure
Tanganyika Wildlife Park: Clouded Leopard
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium: Amur Tiger
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium: Jungle Odyssey
Myrtle Beach Safari: Soraya Station and the Sumatran Tiger
Metro Richmond Zoo: Cheetah
Fort Worth Zoo: Anegada Iguana in the British Virgin Islands
Myrtle Beach Safari: Mountain Gorilla in Uganda
Southwick's Zoo: White Rhino Encounter Program
Fort Worth Zoo: Lesser Flamingo
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center: Attwater's Prairie-Chicken
San Antonio Zoo: Sunda Gharial
Tanganyika Wildlife Park: Reticulated Giraffe
Joe Maynard
Pat Quinn
Ingrid Schmidt-Buchanan
Pat Quinn