Easton College can now help conservation efforts as BIAZA educational member

16th July 2025 – Tags: Animal Management, Animal Studies

Our Animal Management Centre has been approved as an educational member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) – a key industry standard for animal welfare which means the college can play an active role in efforts to protect endangered species.

To become a BIAZA member, the Animal Management Centre was inspected and had to demonstrate that it meets this key industry standard for the care and welfare of animals.

As a BIAZA member, Easton College can now collaborate with BIAZA zoos and aquariums and look after surplus stock from them.

This will allow the college to contribute towards conservation efforts, including captive breeding programmes for endangered species.

The Animal Management Centre is home to a diverse array of species, including critically endangered fish from South America, a variety of amphibians, lizards, and snakes, including a boa constrictor, as well as a selection of birds, goats, alpacas and other mammals. 

The Centre provides students on Animal Studies courses, as well as our BSc (Hons) Zoology degree, with hands-on experience of looking after a wide variety of animals.

These students also have access to the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) to record data about the species at Easton College. ZIMS is widely used in zoos globally and contributes to modern zoo research.

Easton College’s collection is overseen by a specialist zoo veterinary team, ensuring its animals receive care that meets the highest industry standards. 

Chris Sturdy, Head of Animal and Equine, Easton College, commented:

We have always prided ourselves on the very high standards we have for the care and welfare of the animals in our Animal Management Centre.

 

Becoming a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums is an endorsement of those standards and opens up exciting opportunities for us to work with other BIAZA members on captive breeding programmes for endangered species.

 

Many of our students choose to study Animal Studies with us because they want to make a difference for endangered species. Now that Easton College is a BIAZA member, there is the exciting prospect of students being able to get involved in this vital work while they are still at college.”