Zoo and aquarium biosecurity

Good biosecurity is important to zoos and aquariums because it helps to keep wildlife, both in our care and in the wild, safe and healthy. It also helps to protect people, domestic animals and ecosystems.

ZAA is dedicated to reaching maintaining high standards of biosecurity across the ZAA membership. We do this by upskilling our member organisations and their staff, and working with governments, wildlife health and veterinary organisations to coordinate biosecurity responses.  

National Zoo Biosecurity Manual

The National Zoo Biosecurity Manual is a comprehensive guide developed in 2011 by Australia’s zoo and wildlife health authorities to promote best‐practice biosecurity within zoological institutions.

It provides a framework of principles, procedures and tools to help zoos, aquariums, sanctuaries and wildlife parks identify, assess and manage disease risks to their animals, staff, visitors and the broader environment.

The Manual offers guidelines ranging from routine hygiene and enclosure management to emergency response and quarantine, with the flexibility for each establishment to adapt these to its unique species, geography, facility design and resources.

Its goal is to safeguard the health and welfare of zoo populations, minimise disease spread, and support continuity of operations in the face of biosecurity threats.

Download National Zoo Biosecurity Manual

Download Australia’s National Zoo Biosecurity Manual Self-audit Checklist

Download Mycoplasma agassizii Disease Risk Assessment for Australia