He said a decision would likely be made in March 2023 tied to a hearing.Įarlier, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium officials said the ruling on the appeal for the loss of accreditation would not impact the operation of the zoo nor the experience of visitors. If the zoo had to reapply for accreditation in September 2022, the facility would have an inspection in the fall or winter of next year, said Dan Ashe, former president and CEO of the zoo, in an interview with The Associated Press. "In the last nine months, the zoo team has moved mountains to make transformative changes that continue to make us a better zoo with new team members, new policies, and more oversights that were in place at the time of the AZA inspection in July," said Schmid, who assumed his position a week ago and participated in the appeal. Tom Schmid, the new president and chief executive officer of the zoo, said Monday's decision was disappointing but the zoo was "moving forward." The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium was once widely respected in the industry and by the public and was linked with Jack Hanna, a former director of the zoo and a celebrity, according to Hanna's website. The accreditation denial in October from the association, which is considered the nation's top zoo-accrediting body, was a blow to the county's second-largest zoo.
However, with the loss of its species survival and breeding programs, the zoo said it "will impact species conservation programs." The Ohio attorney general's office is also in the midst of a review of the zoo.Įarlier, zoo officials said the ruling would not impact the operation of the zoo nor the experience of visitors. The accrediting group said it has concerns about the zoo's animal programs department and the unethical business practices of its former management. Therefore, the zoo is not allowed to apply for accreditation before September. On Monday, the zoo said the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' board of directors denied its "strong appeal" looking to get back its accreditation or to postpone the issue until next year. “To create access you have to identify barriers and then remove those barriers to create opportunities that are equitable. Our family of parks are for everyone and educational opportunities should be no exception,” Wirtz said.The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is barred from species survival and breeding programs after losing an appeal for the loss of its accreditation. The program's goal is to remove financial barriers that may be caused by unpaid internships. But others can apply for another two-dozen unpaid animal-care jobs. The RISE program will focus on racial/ethnic groups, gender, and low-income/underserved populations. Are people going to be accepting? Is the zoo environment going to be welcoming, or are there going to be micro-aggressions?" "And if the culture is unwilling to accept diversity, that's a problem, too.
"People don't know what career paths they can take out at the zoo," Hightower said, citing the financial and transportation barriers to get there. The zoo must be committed to diversity and have an "intentional strategy," said Stephanie Hightower, president and CEO of the Columbus Urban League and a zoo board member.
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