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COLUMBUS (AP) – The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has lost its most important accreditation, a blow to an institution once widely admired in its industry and by the general public.
The zoo said it plans to appeal the decision announced today by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, considered the main accreditation body for zoos in the country, a day after the institution announced its new leader.
The accreditation group has raised concerns about the zoo’s animal programs department and the inappropriate business practices of its former leaders.
Former zoo president and CEO Tom Stalf and former CFO Greg Bell resigned in March after an investigation by The Columbus Dispatch found they were allowing relatives to live in homes owned or controlled by the zoo and were looking for tickets for family members to the zoo entertainment events.
Subsequent audits initiated by the zoo’s board found that inappropriate spending and questionable business practices on the part of the couple resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses for the zoo, the newspaper reported.
Investigations and reviews by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and the Ohio Auditor are ongoing.
In addition to financial issues, the accreditation group has raised concerns about the zoo’s acquisition of animal ambassadors in its animal programs department. A recent documentary raised questions about how famous environmentalists, including the famous Jack Hanna, acquire exotic animals, and the zoo has since severed ties with animal sellers who do not meet certain standards of animal care. animals.
Accreditation group staff who recently visited the zoo praised him for the changes that have been made to the leadership and department of animal programs. However, the group said they wanted these changes to be sustained.
Tom Schmid, president and CEO of the Texas State Aquarium, was named the next head of the Columbus Zoo on Tuesday.
Hanna was director of the zoo from 1978 to 1992, then director emeritus for many years. He was well known for his live animal demonstrations on late night talk shows, as well as his own syndicated TV shows. His entertainment work has raised the profile of the Ohio Zoo, resulting in a massive increase in attendance over the years.
Hanna’s family announced in April that he had been diagnosed with dementia and would be retiring from public life.
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