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The Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA) of Australasia has reported how its 2022 Conference at Melbourne Zoo drew zoo and aquarium delegates and experts from across Australia and New Zealand as was streamed online to the world.

Seen as being a huge success, the four-day conference featured a packed program considering the theme: inspiring sustainability action.

Day one saw Dr Alan Finkel - neuroscientist, entrepreneur and philanthropist who served as Australia’s Chief Scientist from 2016 to 2020 - deliver serious food for thought on the state of conservation in a keynote address.

This was followed by ZAA member zoos and aquariums, as well as conference sponsorship partners, sharing some of their incredible conservation and environmental sustainability work. From koala genome banks to greener animal feed to addressing climate change, delegates saw that ZAA-accredited zoos and aquariums are tackling conservation and sustainability challenges in many creative ways.

Day two opened with an insightful panel on animal welfare with perspectives from Dr Bidda Jones, Honorary Associate with the Sydney School of Veterinary Science and Director of Strategy and Research with the Australian Alliance for Animals; Professor Alan Tilbrook (recognised for his leading scientific research in animal science and biomedical science) and Ian Robertson, the internationally recognised legal specialist on the subject of animal law chaired by Dr Sally Sherwen, Director of Wildlife Conservation and Science at Zoos Victoria.

The conference then addressed animal welfare and ethics with topics including public perceptions of zoos, five domains assessment of marine animals, the use of artificial intelligence for animal welfare and looking at human wellbeing in zoos and aquariums.

The final day of the conference featured a keynote address from Dr Brian Davis, Chair of global body the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), who got attendees thinking about the lens they bring to DEAI (diversity, equity, accessibility, inclusion).

Delegates heard about the incredible work zoos and aquariums do with their local communities and how these support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. From turning a wildlife park into a space for community art, to working with international zoos, to LGBTQIA+ inclusion for staff and visitors, to working with First Nations advisors via a zoo commitment to country, it’s clear that community engagement is a particular strength of accredited zoos and aquariums.

The ZAA Gala Dinner, held as part of the Conference was an exciting chance for the zoo and aquarium community to finally reconnect and network after years of zoom in the time of COVID-19. The ZAA community came together to raise over $45,000 for animal welfare at zoos and aquariums in the Ukraine, where the impacts of the Russian invasion continue to be devastating for animal care.

Held at Melbourne Zoo, which is also celebrating its 160 year anniversary this year, a statement from organisers advised “the ZAA Team would like to thank Melbourne Zoo for all their work as host for the 2022 ZAA Conference and we look forward to seeing everyone in 2023.”

Click here to visit the Zoo and Aquarium Association website.

Image: Melbourne Zoo hosted the 2022 ZAA Conference.

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