Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) is a private charitable organization representing the country’s leading zoological parks and aquariums. CAZA is committed to the advancement of accredited zoos and aquariums as humane agencies of animal welfare, conservation, science and education.

As a registered charity, CAZA supports and enhances the conservation role of its members through a variety of public engagement and information initiatives and by partnering with like-minded organizations and institutions.

Thanks to its comprehensive accreditation program and Code of Professional Ethics, CAZA-accredited zoos and aquariums are recognized for their high standards of animal care. CAZA and its member institutions often partner with government and animal welfare agencies by providing training as well as expert assistance in investigations and in the rehoming of exotic animals.

Through their role as interpreters of a natural world increasingly under threat by human activity, CAZA member institutions help more than 12 million visitors each year connect with and care about nature. In addition to maintaining these vital links, our member institutions participate actively in hundreds of applied conservation programs and are behind some of the most remarkable conservation success stories, bringing species such as the Black Footed Ferret and the Vancouver Island Marmot back from the brink of extinction.

* CAZA does not grant or rescind operating licences or license the keeping of animals by zoological institutions. In Canada, the granting of licences is the purview of provincial and/or municipal governments