Elmwood Park Zoo Is Granted Accreditation For Leadership In Wild Life Conservation

MONTGOMERY COUNTY (CBS) -- Every five years the Association of Zoos & Aquariums requires its members to go through a rigorous application process to stay accredited.

The Association of Zoos & Aquariums or AZA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, animal welfare, education, science, and recreation.

Rob Vernon, is with AZA and said they only accept the best.

"There are roughly a little over 25-hundred different permit holders in the United States, but only 230 of these are members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, so only the best of the best are members of AZA and that is what Elmwood Park Zoo is."

Members of the association including the Elmwood Park Zoo are working on a new program called 'SAFE,' which stands for saving animals from extinction.

"And through that program we are coordinating science, funding and the public in helping us save 10 of the most endangered species and the Elmwood Park Zoo is a big part of that," Vernon said.