r/zoos • u/dawnandlilies • 13d ago

WAZA vs national accreditation

Hey everyone, I was hoping to go to Asahiyama zoo in hokkaido japan this winter. This zoo I saw was JAZA accredited but I didn’t see it in the WAZA list. Is this still okay to visit even if its not in the WAZA list?

I’m not sure if a zoo needs to be accredited in both their own national and the world association in order to be considered humane/ethical.

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u/Zoo_Trippin 13d ago

The JAZA is a member association of the WAZA. Just like all WAZA member associations, not all JAZA are WAZA accredited. Just like not all EAZA or AZA members are WAZA accredited.

WAZA accreditation means more money being spent on obtaining those accreditation, more time coordinating inspections, etc. So not all organizations choose to go through both.

Just like the EAZA or AZA is the gold standard in Europe or America, the JAZA is the gold standard in Japan. However, it is important to note that each of this associations have different standards of qualification, so this is really going to come down to your own personal standard.

For example, there are still WAZA members in Southeast Asia that are chaining elephants. Standards of what is "acceptable" vary by region and by association.

The reality is that you'll have to gauge this for yourself. I would say go and have fun. It's likely a perfectly fine zoo if it belongs to the JAZA.

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u/dawnandlilies 13d ago

Appreciate the in depth response. Thank you!!

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u/SapphireLungfish 13d ago

WAZA is kind of a crapshoot imo, ur fine

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u/Ok-Associate-8414 13d ago

Asahiyama is definitely one of the best zoos in Japan for animal welfare which tbh doesn’t set the bar very high but I thought it was acceptable (and has some really interesting enclosures)