Fossil Rim is affiliated with a much larger network of national and international organizations dedicated to the conservation of land and animals.
Association of Zoos & Aquariums
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited institution. AZA-accredited institutions maintain professional staff and meaningful wildlife collections, ensuring animals receive appropriate care and are presented in an engaging, accessible manner for the public. These institutions are united by a shared commitment to the exhibition, conservation, and preservation of the earth's fauna in an educational and scientifically grounded way.
AZA membership requires accreditation, a rigorous process that includes a detailed application and a multiple-day, on-site inspection conducted by a team of experts from across the country.
Zoological Association of America
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is a Zoological Association of America (ZAA) accredited institution. ZAA is a non-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to responsible wildlife management, conservation, education, and advocacy. The ZAA promotes excellence and upholds the highest professional standards in animal welfare, safety, and ethics across all areas of zoological and wildlife care. Its growing community includes more than 950 members and over 75 accredited facilities that collectively reach millions of learners and conservation supporters each year.
ZAA accreditation signifies that a facility has voluntarily undergone a rigorous evaluation process and continues to meet stringent standards through routine review and an ongoing commitment to best practices. Accredited facilities provide safe, enriching, and high-quality environments for the animals in their care while delivering educational experiences that deepen public understanding of wildlife and contributing meaningfully to conservation efforts at both local and global levels.
Conservation Centers for Species Survival
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center serves as both a member and home base of the Conservation Centers for Species Survival (C2S2), a coalition of large conservation facilities dedicated to cooperative research and the advancement of species survival. Established in 2005, C2S2 leverages the unique resources of its member facilities to support species with specialized needs, particularly those requiring expansive habitats, natural group sizes, and minimal public disturbance. The coalition's current priorities focus on developing sustainable populations of ungulates, birds, and carnivores through collaborative study and scientific research.
International Rhino Foundation
The International Rhino Foundation (IRF) was founded in 1989 with the support of Fossil Rim's late owner, Jim Jackson. Originally established as the International Black Rhino Foundation (IBRF), the organization was created to aid in the conservation of black rhinos in Zimbabwe through efforts both in the wild and in zoos. In 1993, the foundation expanded its mission to encompass all five rhino species and was renamed the International Rhino Foundation. Today, the IRF is involved in both in-situ and captive conservation programs, which it considers equally critical to the long-term survival of rhinos, with a particular focus on the species most in need of intensive protection and management.
Sahara Conservation
Sahara Conservation is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving the wildlife and ecosystems of the Sahara Desert and adjacent Sahelian grasslands for the benefit of nature and people. Its mission is carried out through species recovery, critical conservation landscape management, and sharing capacity with local communities and global partners. Sahara Conservation operates field programs in Chad and Niger, with registered nonprofit entities in the United States and France.
Fossil Rim has been an active partner in Sahara Conservation's mission since 2009, deploying members of its veterinary staff and hoofstock team to support the release and transport of dozens of antelope across North Africa. This hands-on collaboration reflects Fossil Rim's commitment to advancing species recovery efforts alongside Sahara Conservation's network of local and global partners.
Saola Working Group (SWG) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
The IUCN Saola Working Group strives to conserve saola in the wild and raise awareness for the protection of its habitat in the Annamite Mountains of Laos and Vietnam. Discovered in 1992, the saola is one of the most endangered mammals in the world and is listed by IUCN as “critically endangered.” Fossil Rim has donated funding to this working group.
Giraffe Conservation Foundation
The Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) aims to protect all giraffe species in the wild, increase awareness about the need for conservation and create an international network of people and groups dedicated to ensuring a future for giraffes and their habitats. Fossil Rim has participated in GCF’s World Giraffe Day to raise funds and awareness for giraffe conservation.
United States Department of Agriculture
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers the Animal Welfare Act, under which Fossil Rim is required to annually renew its license to keep exotic wildlife on its property. This entails at least one unannounced inspection a year by an APHIS inspector. All annual USDA/APHIS facility inspection reports nationwide can be viewed on their website.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) directs the recovery program for the Attwater’s prairie chicken. Each year, birds raised at Fossil Rim are released into the USFWS’s Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge near Eagle Lake, Texas. Fossil Rim also participates in the USFWS’s red wolf and Mexican gray wolf recovery programs, as well as with the organization for the breeding and release of Texas Horned Lizards.
Tarleton State University
In 2013, Fossil Rim and Tarleton State University (TSU) signed a memorandum of understanding to further collaboration between the two organizations. This includes wildlife and range/habitat research, student training, marketing, public relations, communications, business management and horticulture. In 2012, TSU’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, together with Fossil Rim as a secondary participant, secured a large grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) for “International Natural Resource Management Addressing Food Security and Hunger Through Integrated Research, Education and Outreach in Resource Conservation and Sustainability.”
Glen Rose Independent School District
Fossil Rim has signed a memorandum of understanding with Glen Rose High School (GRISD). The objective is to teach students about sustainability and encourage green practices in their local community. Fossil Rim is an access point for Glen Rose students to learn about nature and the different careers and volunteer opportunities available to them.
Texas Children in nature network
Texas Children in Nature Network is a collection of over 600 organizations working together to bring children and their families closer to nature. By providing resources like programming, community outreach, strategies, and more, the ultimate goal of TCiNN is to provide all Texas children with equitable access to the outdoors. Fossil Rim is proud to be a part of Texas Children in Nature Network's founders' circle and to continue to work with our partners to connect kids with land and wildlife.
Texan by nature
Texan by Nature (TxN) unites conservation and business leaders who believe Texas’ prosperity is dependent on the conservation of its natural resources. TxN amplifies projects and activates new investments in conservation which returns real benefits for people, prosperity, and natural resources. Texan by Nature achieves mission goals through the Texan by Nature Certification program, Conservation Wrangler program, Symposia series, and the Texan by Nature 20.
Texas-New Mexico Power
Texas-New Mexico Power provides electricity to over 200,000 homes and businesses across Texas. With their help, Fossil Rim was able to build new concrete walkways at the Overlook, replacing decades old dirt and gravel paths. These pathways not only improve the look of one of our most visited areas of the park, but increase accessibility to the Nature Store, Animal Discoveries, and more.