The full review, conducted by Plante Moran and overseen by Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, was delivered to key state, county and city officials and to the Ohio Ethics Commission on Friday. The review ordered by trustees found a former marketing vice president and purchasing director also were involved. The review was ordered after a Columbus Dispatch investigation showed apparent improprieties by the zoo’s then-chief executive and chief financial officers, including misuse of zoo properties and sports tickets. That accreditation was awarded in November 2021 following a two-day, on-site inspection of the zoo’s manatee, polar bear, sea lion, and harbor seal facilities by a team of experienced marine mammal professionals.COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Trustees of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium said Friday that financial abuses by four former executives cost the institution more than $630,000, a new detail in the scandal that has marred the reputation of one of the nation’s largest zoos.Ī forensic analysis ordered by the zoo’s board of trustees showed money collected through a zoo levy that pays for animal care was not involved, however. In addition to accreditation achieved through ZAA, the Columbus Zoo was awarded accreditation by the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks & Aquariums (AMMPA), an international association and accrediting body specializing in marine mammals. The ZAA accreditation must be renewed every five years, requiring that facilities reapply and undergo internal reviews and approvals, as well as the site visit in its entirety, to ensure that standards are upheld. They wanted to make sure we met all of their standards." Schmid told the board that the ZAA officials "walked our entire perimeter. Read more: Columbus Zoo officials reviewing zoo-owned housing for officials "And we've remedied it all."Ĭolumbus Zoo: Top officials resign following Dispatch investigationĪn investigation by The Dispatch uncovered improper spending and questionable business practices by the former top two executives, including allowing personal use of zoo-owned homes, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in zoo losses.Ī later audit found that baby tigers and snow leopards that appeared with zoo personnel on late-night talk shows often didn't come from or return to accredited zoos, but were instead shuffled among backyard breeders and unaccredited zoos. "I don't think it's fair," Schmid said of the AZA decision.
"The AZA decided that we didn't meet their standards, because of the actions of four individuals," he said, referring to former president and CEO Tom Stalf and CFO Greg Bell, along with two other former staff members. Zoo appeals AZA pulling its accreditationĪsked about the ZAA standards before a board meeting Wednesday, Tom Schmid, president and CEO of the Columbus Zoo, called them rigorous and no less challenging than AZA standards. Losing accreditation from the AZA impacts eligibility for certain funds, animal exchange and conservation programs, and can determine whether a facility is subject to certain state laws. The Columbus Zoo is one of the largest among more than 60 facilities accredited by ZAA.
The association is comprised of public and private facilities of wildlife educators, rescue facilities, TV and film industry animal experts, wildlife preserves, large and small zoological facilities, aquariums, and conservation organizations working together to oversee the care and welfare for wildlife in human care.
The ZAA is a nonprofit, membership-based, accrediting organization whose mission is to foster responsible wildlife management, conservation, and education, and to uphold a high level of professional standards in animal welfare, safety, and ethics. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has been granted accreditation by the Zoological Association of America, an international association and accrediting body whose approval is serving to maintain the credential the zoo lost last year following several scandals.Ĭolumbus Zoo leadership was notified recently following a four-day, on-site inspection in March by a team of zoological professionals and a review period by the ZAA accreditation committee.