Association of Zoos and Aquariums

👏 Congratulations to Rod Findley, President & CEO of IMMOTION, on being selected among the Top 50 Immersive Influencers of 2025 by blooloop. Immotion’s work continues to support AZA-accredited #Zoos and #Aquariums in creating meaningful, mission-driven guest experiences through immersive storytelling and conservation-focused VR. 💡 We’re proud to celebrate leaders who are advancing innovative ways to connect audiences with wildlife and inspire the next generation of conservationists. 🌱 Well-deserved recognition, Rod — and congratulations to the entire Immotion team for elevating immersive education across the visitor-attractions community! #Immotion #VirtualReality #Conservation #EnvironmentalEducation #VR #XR

Milwaukee County Zoo has announced that two eastern black rhinos have safely arrived at their new home in #Wisconsin! 🦏 Zuri and Kianga join the Zoo as it prepares to open its new $22.6 million Ladish Co. Foundation Rhino Care Center and embark on the final phase of Adventure Africa, which was a multi-year project. 🏗️ The Zoo looks forward to welcoming guests into this new space, where visitors can get closer than ever to rhinos and hippos and learn through its interactive design. It’s a proud day for the Milwaukee community, as rhinos return to the Zoo for the first time since 2021! 🎉 Read more in Connect! https://bit.ly/3XQolLZ #Rhinos #MilwaukeeCountyZoo #ZooBaby #Conservation #SSP #ItsInOurNature

Great to see SSA Group representing our community on the global stage! Reflections from the IUCN Congress underscore the profound engagement of AZA-accredited partners in conservation and sustainability efforts worldwide. https://bit.ly/3LIlBxE

TY to blooloop for being our 2025 AZA Annual Conference Media Sponsor and sharing this great article. TY to everyone that attended, sponsored and exhibited - making this a record-breaking year! A huge shout out to our three host facilities ZooTampa at Lowry Park, The Florida Aquarium and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. #AZA2025 https://bit.ly/3JZ1Pxb

Welcome to the Big Chair, Dr. Dold! The Association of Zoos and Aquariums is honored to announce the appointment of Dr. Chris Dold, chief zoological officer at United Parks & Resorts, as the Association’s 101st chair of the Board of Directors. Dr. Dold assumes the role after having served on AZA’s Board of Directors since 2020. With 30 years of experience in the zoo and aquarium field, he offers extensive knowledge and deep industry insights that uniquely qualify him to lead the Association into its next chapter. As chair, Dr. Dold, along with three other executive officers and nine board members, will be involved in every aspect of the national organization, including accreditation, ethics, animal wellbeing and conservation. “Chris brings a wealth of experience and perspective to the role of board chair,” said Dan Ashe, president and CEO of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. “As a veterinarian, his knowledge of and compassion for animals will help advance our animal sustainability, care and wellbeing efforts. His seriousness and his sense of humor are ever-present. Chris is deliberate, considerate and committed to the mission and values of the Association. We are grateful for his service to our Association and the entire aquarium and zoo community.” #Leadership #Board #BoardofDirectors #CommunityService

Track a real animal with every bracelet! 📿Fahlo donates 10% of all profits to its nonprofit conservation partners, including the AZA’s SAFE Red Wolf and Red Panda, and Georgia Aquarium. They’re gifts that give and keep on giving with every adventure! Start tracking a real animal: https://bit.ly/3DFDglS. #SAFEAZA #Fahlo #RedWolf #RedPanda #GeorgiaAquarium

The New England Aquarium in #Boston believes the ocean belongs to everyone and that ocean conservation is most powerful when it’s inclusive. 🫧 After meeting with colleagues from Greensboro Science Center and Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, the Aquarium’s dive safety officer, Ashley McCarthy, was inspired to revive #NEAQ’s pre-pandemic "ASL Sundays" and expand inclusive opportunities for Deaf and hard-of-hearing divers. 🤿 This sparked a growing #Aquarium partnership with Atomic Hands, a Deaf-led organization that makes #Science accessible and engaging through ASL storytelling, education, and community outreach. Last September, on the International Day of the Deaf, the Aquarium partnered with Atomic Hands for a dive event where Deaf divers engaged visitors by sharing marine science content in #ASL. Planning an accessible dive experience in a complex, safety-focused environment revealed key communication and inclusion barriers. 🥽 For example, because traditional #Diver recall tools typically rely on sound, the team reimagined communication methods to include visual signals, ensuring Deaf divers could participate safely and fully. 🌊 More in Connect about how the New England Aquarium is challenging ideas of who diving is “for” by uniting their priorities of #Inclusion and #Safety: https://bit.ly/47nGGnY. #Diving #DHOH #NewEnglandAquarium #AtomicHands #CommunityOutreach #MarineScience #Aquariums #AmericanSignLanguage #SignLanguage #ScienceEducation #STEMEducation #AccesibleEducation #InclusiveEducation

🎉 Big news from Cleveland Metroparks Zoo! 🍼 A critically endangered eastern black rhino calf was recently born to 22-year-old mom Kibibbi and 25-year-old dad Forrest. Guests can now visit the adorable new arrival at the #Zoo’s Daniel Maltz Rhino Reserve. 🦏 Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has cared for eastern black rhinos for decades, working with partners around the world to help protect this incredible species 🌍. With fewer than 600 adults left in the wild, every birth is a major step toward securing their future. 🔗 Visit Connect to find out why this calf’s arrival was especially meaningful! https://bit.ly/4opWKww #ZooBaby #EasternBlackRhino #Rhinos #Rhinoceros #Conservation #Cleveland #Ohio #EndangeredSpecies #ZooBirth #WildlifeConservation #RhinoConservation #ClevelandZoo

🎃 Are you pumped for pumpkin season? This October, use one of AZA’s pumpkin-carving templates to “SAFE”-ly bring your favorite animals to life at home! We’ve created a "fang"-tastic set of designs inspired by animals from AZA SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction ®, which now includes 54 SAFE species programs that support the #Conservation of at-risk species. New this year: templates featuring the Ocelot 🐈, Perdido Key Beach Mouse 🐭, and American Burying Beetle 🪲! 📱 Share your spooky species pumpkin on social media using #SAFEPumpkin! Find the full collection of carving templates here: https://bit.ly/3M34xQ0. #AZASAFE #ItsInOurNature #Halloween #SpookySeason #PumpkinCarving #Ocelot #Mouse #Beetle

For Magnetawan First Nation, each turtle hatchling release holds deep cultural significance. 🐢 ☀️ This summer, the Wilder Institute partnered with Magnetawan First Nation’s long-running #Turtle egg incubation program to raise and release turtles in Ontario. In August, hatchlings were guided to the shores of Magnetawan First Nation wetlands 🌱. These turtles began life under human care as part of the incubation program, which became the first initiative added to the Wilder Institute’s Wilder Canada Action Plan this year. For those attending the community turtle release in August, this event was more than just the release of a turtle. 📈 It was a symbol of the beginning of an expanded effort to protect all eight of #Ontario’s native turtle species, which are listed as at-risk at both the federal and provincial level. It continues to be a real-life example of what communities can achieve when they work together for #Conservation. 💞 📢 “Every hatchling we release reflects our community’s deep connection to the land and water. Caring for their eggs and returning them to the wild keeps our teachings alive. Partnering with the Wilder Institute strengthens this work for our kids, our culture, and the turtles.” ~ Councilor Pamela Dehaan, Magnetawan First Nation 🤝 Read more in Connect about this partnership with a purpose: https://bit.ly/3J8o6rY. #WilderInstitute #CalgaryZoo #Turtles #FirstNation #FirstNations #TurtleIsland #CommunityPartnerships #CommunityOutreach #CanadaWildlife #WildlifeConservation