Although tucked away in a quiet, residential area just south of campus, Madison’s free public zoo is comparable to the best in the nation, according to the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced Wednesday the AZA once again accredited the local Henry Vilas Zoo, located at 702 S. Randall Ave., as well as 23 other American and Canadian animal sanctuaries.
The AZA, a non-profit organization that recognizes the educational, recreational and conservational efforts of zoos across the country, requires every zoo complete the accreditation application process every five years to ensure each facility is maintaining the highest standards of animal care, veterinary programming and community outreach.
Parisi called the AZA’s admission the “gold standard” honor for wildlife parks.
The announcement comes on the heels of Parisi allotting additional funding in his 2014 county budget to expand Arctic Passage, a Vilas Zoo exhibit aimed at educating zoo patrons about climate change and sustainability.
According to a press release, the $380,000 Parisi earmarked in the budget to go toward Arctic Passage could help the zoo obtain a “Tundra Buggy,” which is a decades-old vehicle researchers previously used to evaluate the impacts of climate change while touring the North Pole.
“This exhibit will give zoo visitors a unique understanding of the initial explorative efforts scientists conducted to examine the magnitude of current global climate issues,” Parisi said in a statement.
The budget investment also provides funding to install additional energy efficient features at the zoo, such as solar panels as well as bins to collect and reuse rainwater. Chuck Erickson, a supervisor at the zoo, said in a press release he is “excited” to see the zoo continue to become more eco-friendly.
“The proposed sustainability additions to Arctic Passage go hand in hand with our zoo’s mission to conserve animal populations and educate the public about the natural world around us,” Erickson said.
