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Panthera onca)
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Association of Zoos and Aquariums
(11.2.4) All emergency procedures must be written and provided to appropriate paid and unpaid staff.
Appropriate emergency procedures must be readily available for reference in the event of an actual
emergency.
(11.2.5) Live-action emergency drills (functional exercises) must be conducted at least once annually for
each of the four basic types of emergency (fire; weather or other environmental emergency
appropriate
to the region; injury to visitor or paid/unpaid staff; and animal escape). Four separate
drills are required. These drills must be recorded and results evaluated for compliance with
emergency procedures, efficacy of paid/unpaid staff training, aspects of the emergency response that
are deemed adequate are reinforced, and those requiring improvement are identified and modified.
(See 11.7.4 for other required drills).
(11.6.2) Security personnel, whether employed by the institution, or a provided and/or contracted service,
must be trained to handle all emergencies in full accordance with the policies and procedures of the
institution. In
some cases, it is recognized that Security personnel may be in charge of the respective
emergency (i.e. shooting teams).
(11.2.6) The institution must have a communication system that can be quickly accessed in case of an
emergency.
(11.2.0) A paid staff member or a committee must be designated as responsible for ensuring that all
required emergency drills are conducted, recorded, and evaluated in accordance with AZA
accreditation standards (see 11.2.5 and 11.7.4).
(11.2.7) A written protocol should be developed involving local police or other emergency agencies and
include response times to emergencies.
(11.5.3) Institutions maintaining potentially dangerous animals must have appropriate safety procedures
in place to prevent attacks and injuries by these animals. Appropriate response procedures must
also be in place to deal with an attack resulting in an injury. These
procedures must be practiced
routinely per the emergency drill requirements contained in these standards. Whenever injuries result
from these incidents, a written account outlining the cause of the incident, how the injury was
handled, and a description of any resulting changes to either the safety procedures or the physical
facility must be prepared and maintained for five years from the date of the incident.
Chapter 3
(1.4.0) The institution must show evidence of having a zoological records management program for
managing animal records, veterinary records, and other relevant information.
(1.4.6) A paid staff member must be designated as being responsible for the institution's animal record-
keeping system. That person must be charged with establishing and maintaining the institution's
animal records, as well as with keeping all paid and unpaid animal care staff members, apprised of
relevant laws and regulations regarding the institution's animals.
(1.4.7) Animal and veterinary records must be kept current.
(1.4.4) Animal records and veterinary records, whether in electronic or paper form, must be
duplicated
and stored in a separate location. Animal records are defined as data, regardless of physical form or
medium, providing information about individual animals, or samples or parts thereof, or groups of
animals.
(1.4.5) At least one set of the institution's historical animal and veterinary records must be stored and
protected. Those records should include permits, titles, declaration forms, and other pertinent
information.
(1.4.1) An animal inventory must be compiled at least once a year and include data regarding acquisition,
transfer, euthanasia, release, and reintroduction.
(1.4.2) All species owned by the institution must be listed on the inventory, including
those animals on
loan to and from the institution.
Jaguar (
Panthera onca)
Care Manual
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Association of Zoos and Aquariums
(1.4.3) Animals must be identifiable, whenever practical, and have corresponding ID numbers. For
animals maintained in colonies/groups or other animals not considered readily identifiable, the
institution must provide a statement explaining how record keeping is maintained.
Chapter 4
(1.5.11) Animal transportation must be conducted in a manner that is safe, well-planned and coordinated,
and minimizes risk to the animal(s), employees, and general public. All applicable laws and/or
regulations must be adhered to.
Chapter 6
(2.6.2) The institution must follow a written nutrition program that meets the behavioral and nutritional
needs of all species, individuals, and colonies/groups in the institution.
Animal diets must be of a
quality and quantity suitable for each animal’s nutritional and psychological needs.
(2.6.1) Animal food preparation and storage must meet all applicable laws and/or regulations.
Chapter 7
(2.1.1) A full-time staff veterinarian is recommended. In cases where such is not necessary because of
the number and/or nature of the animals residing there, a consulting/part-time veterinarian must be
under written contract to make at least twice monthly inspections of the animals and to respond as
soon as possible to any emergencies.
(2.1.2) So that indications of disease, injury, or stress may be dealt with promptly, veterinary coverage
must be available to the animals24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
(2.0.1) The
institution should adopt the Guidelines for Zoo and Aquarium Veterinary Medical Programs
and Veterinary Hospitals, and policies developed or supported by the American Association of Zoo
Veterinarians (AAZV). The most recent edition of the medical programs and hospitals booklet is
available
at the AAZV website, under “Publications”, at
http://www.aazv.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=839
, and can also be obtained in PDF
format by contacting AZA staff.
(2.2.1) Written, formal procedures must be available to paid and unpaid animal care staff for the use of
animal drugs for veterinary purposes, and appropriate security of the drugs must be provided.
(2.7.1) The institution must have holding facilities or procedures for the quarantine of newly arrived
animals and isolation facilities or procedures for the treatment of sick/injured animals. Quarantine
duration should be assessed and determined by the pathogen risk and best practice for animal
welfare.
(2.7.3) Quarantine, hospital, and isolation areas should be in compliance with standards/guidelines
contained within the
Guidelines for Zoo and Aquarium Veterinary Medical Programs and Veterinary
Hospitals developed by the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV), which can be
obtained at:
http://www.aazv.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=839
.
(2.7.2) Written, formal procedures for quarantine must be available and familiar to all paid and unpaid
staff working with quarantined animals.
(11.1.2) Training and procedures must be in place regarding zoonotic diseases.
(11.1.3) A tuberculin (TB) testing/surveillance program must be established
for appropriate paid and
unpaid staff in order to assure the health of both the paid and unpaid staff and the animals.
(2.5.1) Deceased animals should be necropsied to determine the cause of death for tracking morbidity
and mortality trends to strengthen the program of veterinary care and meet SSP-related requests.
(2.5.2) The institution should have an area dedicated to performing necropsies.
(2.5.3) Cadavers must be kept in a dedicated storage area before and after necropsy. Remains must be
disposed of in accordance with local/federal laws.
(2.0.2) The veterinary care program must emphasize disease prevention.