Central Zoo Authority

What Central Zoo Authority does

Central Zoo Authority (CZA) is a statutory body of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, established in 1992 under Chapter IVA (Sections 38A–38J) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. It is the sole national regulator for zoos in India, with exclusive statutory authority to recognize and derecognize zoos, approve animal exchanges between Indian and foreign zoos, enforce minimum standards for housing and veterinary care, and coordinate ex-situ conservation efforts. CZA's primary constituents are the 156 recognized zoos across India (categorized as 17 large, 23 medium, 34 small, 63 mini, and 19 rescue centres), which collectively house 567 species and approximately 57,220 animals, including 144 endangered species.

CZA's core technology and product surface consists of three elements: (1) ZooMIS (Zoo Management Information System), a centralized online platform for zoo operations, animal inventory, and administration inaugurated in October 2021; (2) national studbooks maintained for more than eleven endangered species (Snow Leopard, Red Panda, Bengal Tiger, One-Horned Rhinoceros, Asiatic Wild Dog, Lion-Tailed Macaque, Gaur, Clouded Leopard, Indian Gazelle, Four-Horned Antelope, and Indian Wild Ass); and (3) centralized Conservation Breeding Programmes coordinated across the zoo network. The Authority also leverages ZIMS through its partnership with Species 360 for animal record management. CZA has signed cooperation MoUs with Smithsonian National Zoological Park (2016), Prague Zoo (2015), University of California Davis (2013), and Species 360 (2014) for knowledge exchange, research collaboration, and capacity building.

CZA operates on a non-commercial, government-funded model. It charges no fees to zoos and generates no revenue from its regulatory, advisory, or platform activities. Its headcount of 1–10 reflects a lean central regulatory secretariat, with operational staffing housed within the zoos themselves. Distribution is centralized through its New Delhi headquarters, with no commercial sales motion; outreach is conducted via its website (cza.nic.in), YouTube channel, Twitter/X (@CZA_Delhi), the Ex-situ Updates newsletter, and periodic national conferences for zoo directors and veterinarians. The Authority is governed by a Chairman (the Hon'ble Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change), ten members, and a Member Secretary (Dr. V. Clement Ben, IFS), and was most recently reconstituted on 13 September 2023.

Name

Central Zoo Authority

Legal name

Central Zoo Authority

Website

https://cza.nic.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Central Zoo Authority is a statutory body under India's Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change that regulates the country's 156 recognized zoos under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, enforcing animal welfare standards, coordinating endangered species breeding, and operating the ZooMIS platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation and Zoo Regulation

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Welfare Regulation & Enforcement (HLAMAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Health & Conservation Disease Management (HLAMAJAM), Veterinary Regulatory Authorities (Licensing, Compliance & Enforcement) (HLAMAJAC), Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL)

Keywords

• Zoo regulatory authority
• Wildlife conservation regulation
• Captive animal management
• Conservation breeding programmes
• Zoo management information systems

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Central Zoo Authority is a statutory regulatory body that recognizes and regulates zoos across India, establishes minimum standards for housing and veterinary care of captive animals, coordinates conservation breeding programmes for endangered species, maintains national studbooks, and facilitates international cooperation under CITES. Its operations are supported by ZooMIS, an information management platform used by Indian zoos for inventory and administration.

Product overview

Central Zoo Authority (CZA) is a statutory body of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, established in 1992. It operates as a regulatory and facilitating authority for zoos in India, not a product company per se. Its primary offerings include the ZooMIS (Zoo Management Information System) platform for zoo management, along with various guidelines, publications, conservation breeding programmes, studbooks for endangered species, and capacity building initiatives. The organization provides standards and norms for zoo operations, evaluates and recognizes zoos, coordinates animal exchanges, and supports conservation breeding programmes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ZooMIS (Zoo Management Information System)
• Conservation Breeding Programme
• Zoo Recognition and Derecognition Service
• National Studbooks of Endangered Species

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Washington D.C., USAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2016MoU signed between Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and Smithsonian National Zoological Park for cooperation in zoo management, wildlife conservation, research, and capacity building. This partnership facilitates knowledge exchange and technical collaboration between two premier zoological institutions.
• Prague Zoo, Czech RepubliccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 January 2015MoU signed between Central Zoo Authority and Prague Zoo for collaboration in zoo management practices, conservation breeding programmes, and wildlife research. Czech Republic and India cooperate on exchange of expertise in captive animal management.
• Species 360, USAcoreTechnology or Integration · 7 November 2014MoU between Central Zoo Authority and Species 360 for animal record management systems. Species 360 provides the ZIMS (Zoological Information Management System) platform used globally for tracking animal collections, breeding programmes, and health records.
• University of California, Davis, USAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2013Trilateral MoU between Central Zoo Authority, Wildlife Institute of India (WII), and University of California, Davis for research collaboration in wildlife conservation, captive breeding science, and veterinary education. UC Davis is a leading institution in veterinary medicine and wildlife health.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species): International treaty governing wildlife trade that CZA administers for zoo animal exchanges. Highly comparable as a regulatory framework for endangered species transactions, but operating at a multinational scale.
• Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA): US-based zoo and aquarium accreditation body that sets standards and accredits member institutions. Directly comparable to CZA as both serve as national-level accreditation and regulatory bodies for zoos, with analogous functions in standard-setting, animal exchange approvals, and studbook coordination.
• European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA): Regional zoo association coordinating conservation breeding programmes (EEP/ESB) and accreditation across European zoos. Highly comparable to CZA's role in coordinating studbooks, conservation breeding, and animal exchanges across member zoos.
• World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA): Global umbrella body for zoo associations that coordinates international policy, ethics, and conservation strategy. Comparable to CZA in providing cross-border coordination, though at a global rather than national level.

Direct peers

• Wildlife Institute of India (WII): Indian autonomous institution under MoEFCC focused on wildlife research and training. Comparable as a CZA member body delivering research, training, and conservation capacity that supports India's zoo and wildlife network.
• Zoological Survey of India (ZSI): India's premier taxonomic and faunal survey organization under MoEFCC. CZA constituent member institution; comparable as a government authority driving wildlife documentation, taxonomy, and conservation in India.
• Species 360: Non-profit that maintains ZIMS (Zoological Information Management System), the global standard for zoo animal records and studbooks. A CZA MoU partner, and highly comparable as the technology/data backbone for zoo management internationally.
• National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) of India: India's apex advisory body on wildlife policy under the Wildlife (Protection) Act. Comparable to CZA as a sibling statutory/government body governing wildlife policy in India, including oversight of protected areas that complement zoo-based conservation.

Regional players

• Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia (ZAA): Regional zoo accreditation body for Australia and Australasia. Directly comparable as a zoo accreditation and standards body with conservation breeding programmes, but serves a different geography than CZA.
• British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA): UK and Ireland zoo association that accredits and coordinates member zoos on welfare, conservation, and breeding programmes. Comparable to CZA in scope and function, though geographically distinct.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CZA_Delhi
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9DQs7r_Ln34K5NdcFr0iBg
• Facebookfacebook.com/CZADelhi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/central-zoo-authority

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Central Zoo Authority