The South Asian Zoo Association for Regional Cooperation or (SAZARC) is an organization

Organization

An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...

 for South Asia

South Asia

South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...

n zoo

Zoo

A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....

s and aquariums. SAZARC was established on August 4, 2000 at the first meeting of South Asian Zoos, held at Central Zoo, Kathmandu, Nepal, initiated by the Zoo Outreach Organisation

Zoo Outreach Organisation

Zoo Outreach Organisation , India started off as an NGO primarily focusing on training Zoo staff and bettering the circumstances of captive animals in Indian zoos...

 (ZOO). It became a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums

World Association of Zoos and Aquariums

The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums is the "umbrella" organisation for the world zoo and aquarium community. Its mission is to provide leadership and support for zoos, aquariums, and partner organizations of the world in animal care and welfare, conservation of biodiversity, environmental...

 (WAZA) in 2004. SAZARC is considered the sister organization of the South East Asian Zoos Association

South East Asian Zoos Association

The South East Asian Zoos Association is an organization for South East Asian zoos and aquariums with the vision that "member zoos utilize their animal collections for the primary purposes of educating our public by imparting messages on the urgent need for environmental conservation in a manner...

 (SEAZA), the only other regional association of zoos in Asia.

Conferences

The following table lists the year and venue of all annual conferences of SAZARC.

Session	Started	Ended	Host	Location	Additional notes
First Annual Conference	August 3, 2000	August 3, 2000	Central Zoo	Kathmandu, Nepal Nepal Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...	Founding members were Bangladesh Bangladesh Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south... , India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... , Nepal Nepal Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India... , Pakistan Pakistan Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...  and Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the... .
Second Annual Conference	October 7, 2001	October 11, 2001	Taiping Zoo	Perak Perak Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay... , Malaysia	Combined meeting with SEAZA South East Asian Zoos Association The South East Asian Zoos Association is an organization for South East Asian zoos and aquariums with the vision that "member zoos utilize their animal collections for the primary purposes of educating our public by imparting messages on the urgent need for environmental conservation in a manner... . 10th anniversary of SEAZA.
Third Annual Conference	October 6, 2002	October 11, 2002	Dhaka Zoo	Dhaka Dhaka Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city... , Bangladesh Bangladesh Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
Fourth Annual Conference	December 1, 2003	December 5, 2003	Colombo Zoo	Dehiwala, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
Fifth Annual Conference	December 1, 2004	December 5, 2004	Lahore Zoo Lahore Zoo Lahore Zoo in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, established in 1872, one of the largest zoos in South Asia. It is currently managed by the Wildlife and Parks department of the Government of Pakistan. Today the zoo houses a collection of about 1380 animals of 136 species...	Lahore Lahore Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a... , Pakistan Pakistan Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...	First time participation of Afghanistan Afghanistan Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world... . SAZARC became a member of WAZA World Association of Zoos and Aquariums The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums is the "umbrella" organisation for the world zoo and aquarium community. Its mission is to provide leadership and support for zoos, aquariums, and partner organizations of the world in animal care and welfare, conservation of biodiversity, environmental... .
Sixth Annual Conference	December 1, 2005	December 5, 2005	Karl Kübel Institute	Coimbatore Coimbatore Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India".... , India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
Seventh Annual Conference	September 11, 2006	September 13, 2006	Saigon Zoo	Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam... , Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...	Combined meeting with SEAZA South East Asian Zoos Association The South East Asian Zoos Association is an organization for South East Asian zoos and aquariums with the vision that "member zoos utilize their animal collections for the primary purposes of educating our public by imparting messages on the urgent need for environmental conservation in a manner... . 15th anniversary of SEAZA.
Eighth Annual Conference	January 30, 2008	February 3, 2008	Kamla Nehru Zoo	Ahmedabad Ahmedabad Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad... , India
Ninth Annual Conference	February 11, 2009	February 15, 2009	Colombo Zoo	Dehiwala, Sri Lanka	10th anniversary of SAZARC.
Tenth Annual Conference	November 22, 2010	November 27, 2010	Central Zoo	Kathmandu, Nepal	First time participation of Bhutan Bhutan Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China... .

Members

Founding members
Other members (member since 2004) (member since 2010)

External links

• SAZARC Introductory Page