Photo: Wellington Zoo
Being a registered Zoo or wildlife park in New Zealand doesn't automatically guarantee best practice for animal protection.
Karen Fifield is chief executive of Wellington Zoo and she was also recently appointed Vice President of World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
WAZA is a global alliance whose members are dedicated to the care and conservation of animals and their habitats around the world.
She says protecting wildlife is a key plank of being an accredited member of WAZA, and it ensures facilities are progressive and do work beyond breeding animals. Zoos and wildlife parks here have to meet Government guidelines and minimum standards around containment, but Fifield says that's different to conservation and protection measures.
