#Restaurants near columbus zoo professional#

6, previously told The Dispatch he was puzzled by the AZA’s initial accreditation denial, noting the zoo’s issues regarding animal acquisition and leadership’s missteps “have been dealt with very effectively.” Schmid, who began in his new zoo leadership role Dec. The denial of the zoo’s accreditation appeal comes just days into Schmid’s tenure. The AZA team that visited the zoo for the review commended those changes, but also said it wanted “to see that these changes can be sustained.” Zoo officials quickly promised to appeal the decision, noting that the zoo had already made numerous changes to meet AZA standards ahead of their accreditation review. They also were concerned with inappropriate businesses practices by the zoo’s former leadership. At the time, the AZA’s accreditation commission expressed concerns with the zoo’s repeated animal transfers with non-AZA members to supply baby animals for entertainment purposes. The AZA first denied the Columbus Zoo’s accreditation in early October, following a routine, five-year accreditation review process.

#Restaurants near columbus zoo professional#

The zoo welcomes standards and scrutiny in evaluating an institution, and being accredited by a third-party professional association is important, Schmid said, noting, “We are exploring all options to continue fulfilling our mission and to continue our work with endangered and threatened species that need our help,” he said. Losing accreditation from the AZA impacts eligibility for certain funds, animal exchange and conservation programs, and can determine whether a facility is subject to certain state laws.

“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,” Schmid said.