Providing exceptional animal care
With input and guidance from the global community of public aquarium and zoo professionals and elasmobranch field biologists and researchers, the AZA SAFE Shark and Ray Program’s Best Practices for Elasmobranch Handling Events project has created a tool to support safe and efficient animal handling events that occur in situ or ex situ.
The Best Practices Working Group worked with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Conservation Technologies and Media Services Divisions to create the AZA SAFE Shark and Ray Handling App. The App is a tool to be used by elasmobranch handlers to guide the process of establishing handling protocols for animal welfare and wellbeing, and animal and human safety, that best fits their facility/environment, scenario, staffing, sampling needs, and species to be handled. It is designed to be used by anyone intending to handle sharks or rays in public aquariums, research laboratories, or in field research.
Call for Participation
At the Regional Aquatics Workshop 2025, hosted by the National Aquarium, in Baltimore Maryland, the Best Practices for Handling Elasmobranchs App will be officially launched! Aligning the launch with a conference workshop that will allow attendees to use the App and explore its application using various animal handling scenarios. Following the workshop, the App will be live for open use.
With the App formally launched, the creative development phase of the App will be completed. The SAFE Shark and Ray program wishes to thank all our drafting and design phase working group members and their sponsoring facilities for their hard work:
- Paula Carlson, Dallas World Aquarium
- Dr. Emily Christiansen, North Carolina Aquariums
- Kevin Curlee, Disney’s The Seas with Nemo and Friends
- Beth Firchau, Conservation Coordination LLC
- Dr. Lisa Hoopes, Georgia Aquarium
- Dr. Rob Jones, The Aquarium Vet
- Dr. Steve Kessel, Shedd Aquarium
- Kelly Link, Georgia Aquarium
- Allen McDowell
- Kelli McDowell, SEALife Orlando
- Dr. Linda Penfold, SEZARC (App development workshop facilitator)
- Hans Walters, WCS/New York Aquarium
- Stacia White, Ripley’s Aquarium at Myrtle Beach
- Frank Young, Dynasty Marine Associates
We are also very grateful for the design and technical support of Steve Gallo and LiLing Choo from the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Conservation Technology Team, and Katherine Gomero from WCS’ Media Services Division. Without their patience and talent, the App would not have been launched.
A new phase of the Best Practices App is beginning and there are opportunities for your organization to get involved! Please see detailed information about the Call for Participation in a new Best Practices For Handling Elasmobranchs Working Group at the link below. The Call for Participation will close April 15.
Working Group Participation Information
Those interested in being considered for this new working group should complete this FORM by April 15th.