answer the call of the wild

we know you love animals and we do, too!
kids & families click here to answer the call of the wild

parents & teachers download the wild educator's resource guide!

Register for the AZA Professional Training Program
The 2007 Courses are now open for registration! Limited space is available in one of our remaining 2006 courses, Developing an Institutional In Situ Conservation Strategy.

Apply now for one of the six Professional Training Awards for 2007. Application deadline is October 13th, 2006.

Enter the AZA Photo Contest
Staff and volunteers at AZA-accredited institutions are eligible to enter our annual AZA Photo Contest. The winning photo is featured on the cover of Communiqué. Here's how to enter.

2 Million for $2 Million Campaign
Save the Multinational Species Conservation Fund
Back in January, we asked for AZA members' help to support increased funding for the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Multinational Species Conservation Fund program. Sixty institutions responded with over 50,000 signatures in a little over two months. But we need more help. The timing could not be more critical.

What's new?

Here's a list of the major new additions over the past few months.

What's happening?

Check the calendar of events for a month-by-month list of meetings, workshops, and training for zoo and aquarium professionals.

2006 Annual Conference
Join us in Tampa, Florida as Busch Gardens, Florida Aquarium, and Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo host the 2006 Annual Conference on September 25th – 30th. Online registration is now open!

Two of the three conference hotels are sold out. Make your hotel reservations today!

Elephants in AZA-Accredited Zoos: A Caring Match
Elephants are magnificent. When people have the good fortune to see an elephant up close, they are fascinated by it and often feel a special connection to that animal. That connection fosters a deeper understanding and caring for elephants, which is just one of the many reasons accredited zoos have such an important role in assuring animal welfare and care. [more]

Recent Press Releases

Kumala Wine From South Africa Promotes Wildlife Conservation Through AZA
June 1, 2006
Kumala, a wine from South Africa, is proud to announce a new partnership to promote wildlife conservation behavior in conjunction with the efforts of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, (AZA), a leader in global wildlife conservation. [more]

AZA Announces Successful Effort To Rescue Orphaned Monkeys
May 3, 2006
The Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) today announced that 33 orphaned monkeys, representing five different species, have been imported to the U.S. under the auspices of the AZA's Old World Monkey Taxon Advisory Group (TAG). A group of six zoos, San Diego Zoo, Wildlife World Zoo, Litchfield Park, AZ; Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa, FL; Houston Zoo, San Antonio Zoo, and Denver Zoo, combined efforts and resources to rescue these monkeys which had been destined for the hobbyist trade South Africa. [more]

More press releases