Designing Zoos

AZA Husbandry Manuals and Husbandry Guidelines

Husbandry Manuals and Guidelines from the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) can be your best friend.  They outline the basics of design for an animal including MINIMAL sizes of exhibit, barrier types and heights, and elements required within the exhibit, such as a pool of specific depth, natural substrates, etc.  The AZA publish these manuals on their website currently, but require that you have a password to access them (given only to AZA members).  The Association is currently undergoing the process of writing Husbandry Guidelines for most of the animal species held in America’s zoos.  If you need access to the Husbandry Manuals (which are older and much more generic), or the new Husbandry Guidelines and do not have access to the website, please contact me and I’ll help you out.

WAZA’s Virtual Zoo

The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums has published a species specific resource with tons of great information, including their recommended exhibit size minimums.  A great starting point.  Check it out here.

AZK Husbandry Manuals

The Australasian Zoo Keeping Association has a webpage dedicated to various sources for husbandry manuals published by associations around the world.  Some sources have direct links to web published manuals, which is very convenient, while others simply list a contact person with email and phone number.  I’ve found these contact people to be very helpful and generally reply in a timely manner.  Search for documents here.

IWRC Minimum Standards

The International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council share their  ”Minimum Standards for Wildlife Rehabilitation” here.  These guidelines, targeted for rehabilitators, outline minimum space requirements for common North American species not generally included in other husbandry manuals.  A great resource particularly for birds and reptiles.

USDA Guidelines

Many people don’t realize the government sets standards for animal care in the United States.  However, these standards are very minimal and should be followed as minimums only as a double check that you haven’t made a gross error.  APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) covers marine mammals only.  Currently, with the exception of Polar Bears, the AZA does not have separate guidelines for marine mammals.  So, if you are working with marine mammals, you must use the USDA APHIS standards as your working minimum.  These standards can be found online, here.