The Yukon Wildlife Preserve has received official accreditation from the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

"We were delighted to have the wildlife preserve apply for and receive accreditation,” Bill Peters, CAZA's national director, said in an interview Wednesday.

"We really wanted to have representation in our organization from the Yukon,” he said, noting that its animals represent a unique part of Canada's wildlife.

"It's very much an advantage for our association to have them with us.”

Peters said CAZA's accreditation standards are recognized as some of the best in the world.

They cover a wide array of operational aspects, including animal care, conservation work, research and education, security, and vet care.

The standards are reviewed and updated on a regular basis. Best practices are garnered from experts around the world to ensure the standards are the strongest they can be.

The benefits of accreditation for any single organization are numerous, said Peters.

"It gives the member a certain status, of course, as being recognized as one of the best or leading facilities in North America, certainly in Canada.

"There is a lot of professional exchange of knowledge and expertise within the organization, so the people that manage the Yukon Wildlife Preserve now have access to that body of knowledge.”

Accreditation also makes it easier to exchange animals with other facilities, Peters said.

As well, the public is becoming increasingly conscious of accreditation and is more likely to choose to visit an accredited facility over an unaccredited one.

The Yukon Wildlife Preserve underwent its official accreditation inspection in July. A comment sheet was left with some improvements the preserve could make.

In August, Greg Meredith, the preserve's executive director, told the Star staff were "plugging away” on some of those items.

In September, Meredith and another staff member reported before a CAZA accreditation committee to update its members on their progress.

Their accreditation was announced at the association's annual conference in Toronto.

Meeting the CAZA standards has been a long-term goal for the preserve, since the Yukon government purchased the Takhini Hot Springs Road facility in the early 2000s.

For decades, it had been owned by the late Danny Nowlan and his spouse.

"It's been a great model for us to follow ... so we know we're doing it right, and if we have questions, we've got people we can phone and they can give us ideas,” Meredith said in August.

The wildlife preserve now sits among 26 other CAZA accredited members, including the Toronto Zoo and the Vancouver Aquarium.

This week, Meredith opted not to comment on the preserve's accreditation until it releases a formal announcement.