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Madison’s Henry Vilas Zoo will have a better chance to aid endangered species after receiving recognition once again from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums on Tuesday.

The AZA hosts a hearing twice each year to determine which zoos and aquariums receive accreditation. 

“It is a real privilege to be an AZA accredited zoo,” said Vilas Zoo Director Jim Hubing.

Accreditation does not provide additional funding for zoos but provides connections for sharing resources with other accredited zoos, Hubing said, adding the economic gain of having access to animals they would not previously had access to is immeasurable. 

“All zoos that are accredited band together to help endangered species,” Hubing said. “Unfortunately the number of endangered animals rises each year.” 

One way they combat extinction is by breeding species of animals from different accredited zoos.

Zoos can submit written applications to be accredited every five years. Hubing said the problem is the standards to receive accreditation go up every cycle. 

According to Hubing, the Henry Vilas Zoo has been accredited since the 1970s when the AZA began accrediting. However, the standards of not only animal care but visitor experience have risen considerably since the 1970s, making it much more of a challenge for today’s zoos. 

“Accreditation is a roadmap for success for a zoo committed to animal care,” said Steve Feldman, AZA senior vice president of communications. 

Many of the largest zoos in Wisconsin such as the Milwaukee County Zoo are accredited, Feldman said, adding that there is no size requirement for a zoo to be recognized.

“You don’t have to be big; you just have to do things right,” Feldman said.

Feldman added being accredited holds more than just a title — it lets the public know the zoo they are visiting is a great place.

Students studying biology or environmental studies have oppurtunites to either volunteer or get involved in conservation at the zoo.

Conservation is also a large part of the zoo; although admission to the zoo is free, every time a patron purchases a zoo membership a lot of funding goes towards conservation. 

Both Hubing and Feldman said conservation is one of the most important factors for accreditation.

A zoo first receives six inches’ worth of paperwork to apply for accreditation that must be completed over a period of six months. After the paperwork is received, a team comes into the zoo and writes a report, Hubing said.

The zoo then has the following four weeks to come up with a response to the written report from the AZA. All of these proceedings must then appear before a commission. 

Finally, there is a hearing in which the zoo finds out if it fulfills the standards. If the zoo has met all of the AZA requirements, it receives accreditation.