AZA SAFE

What AZA SAFE is

AZA SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction is a conservation program run by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the main accrediting body for zoos and aquariums in the U.S.

Its stated mission is to combine the power of zoo and aquarium visitors with the resources and expertise of AZA members and partners to save animals from extinction. In practice, SAFE picks specific at-risk species and gets many zoos and aquariums working on them together, rather than each running separate projects.

What SAFE programs do

According to AZA, a SAFE program:

• Protects threatened animals
• Builds on existing recovery plans rather than starting from scratch
• Prioritizes collaboration among AZA member institutions
• Carries out conservation and community engagement work
• Measures and reports progress

That work happens largely in the field: protecting habitat, supporting wild populations and working with people who live alongside the animals.

SAFE vs. Species Survival Plans

The two programs are easy to confuse, but they do different jobs:

• A Species Survival Plan (SSP) manages a species' population inside zoos and aquariums, using a studbook and breeding recommendations.
• A SAFE program targets conservation impact in the wild.

Many species have both. For example, the zoo population of red wolves is managed through an SSP, while SAFE work supports the wild population.

Examples of SAFE species

AZA's SAFE list covers dozens of species and groups. Some you may see at U.S. zoos include:

• African penguin
• Black rhinoceros
• Cheetah and giraffe
• Red panda
• Radiated tortoise
• Red wolf
• Whooping crane

The list also includes animals you rarely see on exhibit, such as North American freshwater mussels, coral, monarch butterflies and the vaquita, a tiny porpoise.

Why it matters for zoo visitors

SAFE is one of the clearest ways AZA zoos turn visits into conservation in the wild. Because only AZA-accredited institutions and their partners take part, it's another reason to check a zoo's accreditation before you go. Read what AZA accreditation means or find a zoo.