ZooMontana has retained its accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) until 2010.
Less than 10% of the nation’s zoos and wild animal parks are certified by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The list includes the San Diego Zoo, the Philadelphia Zoo, the Los Angeles Zoo, Woodland Park Zoo and Denver Zoological Gardens to name a few.
ZooMontana along with the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery are the only two institutions in Montana recognized by the AZA. “It is a tremendous honor to be recognized and accreditated by the AZA,” zoo director, Jackie Worstell said. “Accreditation by the AZA says your facility is top notch in the areas of keeping/staff excellence, veterinary care, exhibit design, conservation & research actions, community education, general organization practices and policies and financial stability to name a few.”
“Accreditation puts us in a very elite group and we have to work each day to maintain the high level of quality the AZA expects.” Worstell stated. “It is a privilege and loosing accreditation would be devastating to the zoo.”
ZooMontana is host to roughly seventy thousand visitors annually, providing educational programs on site as well as off site to our community and the surrounding community. The zoo’s winter admission hours are Monday – Sunday 10am to 3pm with grounds closing at 4pm.
ZooMontana recently received a $10,000 grant from The Sample Foundation to aid in the pavement of the zoo trails.
This project had been started several years ago but the zoo was lacking additional funds to complete the project. The trails had been lined with mulch and for many zoo visitors such as elderly, handicapped and those with small children it was extremely difficult to navigate their way to seeing the magnificent tigers, adorable red pandas and beautiful sika deer. Even wearing sandals to the zoo was a rather uncomfortable experience. Now you can easily glide your way to the tigers barefooted if you wanted.
“None of this would have been possible without the generosity of the community” Jackie Worstell, Zoo Director, stated. The project was made possible through the combined efforts and donations of; the zoo staff, Rotary Club volunteers and grant, JTL, ExxonMobil, Tractor and Equipment and The Sample Foundation. “ Together they have made it possible for all our guests to thoroughly enjoy the entire zoo.” Worstell added.
The zoo hopes to add a restroom to the back part of the zoo in the future which would also make it more visitor friendly. “We want to conintue to expand the zoo but we also need to ensure we are financially able to add an exhibit and make logical choices for our visitors.” Worstell said. “As it is right now we have no restroom facility in the back part of the zoo which is accessible for our handicapped guests or parents whom need a changing or hand washing station. Guests currently needing those facilities have to make a fairly long hike back to the main building so this is a priority for our planning committee.”
If you haven’t been to the zoo in a while come on out and see the new trails as well as the progress on the Bear Meadows exhibit which is set to open late spring, early summer.
Gerson Barnett has generously contributed to the zoo to create a Children's Garden. We now have several new benches in what was formerly the Native Garden.
Also, we have two new residents, a giraffe statue and an elephant statue.
Great-horned owls and a northern saw-whet owl were sitting within several feet of each other over by the tiger exhibit this weekend.
The zoo gets a lot of wild visitors so watch the trees for any visitors. The great-horned owls were sitting in a tree probably 10-20 feet up, the northern saw-whet owl is a small owl that was sitting inside of a bush at the tiger viewing area.
