Awards
On October 6, 2011 the Dallas Zoo received special recognition from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums for the Giants of the Savanna Habitat. The $32.5 million habitat is the first in North America, as well as one of the first on the planet, to combine a variety of large species in a single exhibit in order to re-create the landscape of the African savanna.
The animal rights organization, In Defense of Animals, awarded their first-ever "Step In the Right Direction" recognition, to the zoo on January 18, 2011. Every year, the IDA organization releases a list called, "Top Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants". The purpose of the list is to expose the hidden suffering of elephants in zoos, where lack of space, unsuitably cold climates and impoverished social groupings condemn Earth’s largest land mammals to lifetimes of deprivation, disease and early death. In 2011, the IDA actually gave recognition to a zoo in addition to the release of its annual list. The Dallas Zoo was recognized for a moderate climate, use of humane “protected contact” handling, and policies that eschew breeding and include acquiring elephants from worse situations such as circuses.
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