".I'm hopeful that as a result of this film, our investigation, (and) the AZA's actions, that we'll come to a more ethical place in animal welfare, and that ultimately the animals that we love will be the beneficiaries of these actions," Webber said. "The public statements that they've made are very encouraging, and I'm eager to give this new leadership a chance to right the wrongs we've seen in the past," he said. "At the same time, it's clear the AZA had no choice in taking the action that they did." Michael Webber, who directed "The Conservation Game," said the changes the Columbus Zoo has made this year in response to issues raised in the film are "pretty dramatic." The AZA's Ashe called the zoo's decision to hire Schmid "welcome and encouraging," but reiterated its accreditation commission felt "additional time will be required to let these and other changes take hold." "That's why I'm a bit puzzled with the outcome," he said. Schmid said the zoo's issues regarding animal acquisition and leadership's missteps "have been dealt with very effectively." He plans to conduct his own inspection of the zoo to see if his assessment is in agreement with the AZA's. ".It's remarkable how many things they're doing right," Schmid said of the Columbus Zoo. "I was surprised," said Schmid, who said he has helped conduct AZA inspections in the past. Schmid said he had been previously made aware of the AZA's accreditation decision and has had several discussions about the matter. The news comes one day after the zoo named Tom Schmid, president and CEO of the Texas State Aquarium, as its next leader. “.Given the number and gravity of concerns that the inspection team identified, the Commission concluded that although Columbus is working hard to correct the issues, the zoo should not be accredited at this time," Ashe said. "But AZA membership is conditioned on adherence to our accreditation standards – the global “gold standard” for modern aquariums and zoos – and our independent Accreditation Commission has determined that Columbus has failed to uphold those standards. “It is never a good day when AZA loses a member, especially one as renowned and respected as the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, AZA President and CEO Dan Ashe said in a written statement Wednesday. But the accreditation commission "wants to see that these changes can be sustained," the zoo said. The AZA team that visited the zoo on its recent accreditation review commended the changes made by the zoo since the departure of Stalf and Bell, and in response to the concerns over its animal programs department. The Hanna family shared in April that Jack Hanna had been diagnosed with dementia, and told The Dispatch this summer that they hadn't seen the documentary and would never try to speak for the former zoo director.īefore that, Tom Stalf, former zoo president and CEO and Greg Bell, former chief financial officer, resigned after an investigation by The Dispatch detailed their extensive personal use of zoo resources. Forensic audits initiated by the zoo's board have since revealed improper spending and questionable business practices by the former top two executives, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in zoo losses. Investigations and reviews by the Ohio Attorney General and Ohio Auditor of State are pending. The zoo announced in July it has cut ties with animal vendors who do not meet certain standards of animal care.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |