The main goals of the SEAZA are to, "Strengthen in-situ conservation and management plans, to increase captive breading through research, to improve standards of non human animal welfare, to provide better recreational learning experiences for zoo visitors, to educate the public about the importance of wildlife conservation, and to promote tourism in Southeast Asia."

Achieving SEAZA's goals is particularly important as Southeast Asia is one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world, but rapid, recent economic growth of these countries has caused this rare ecosystem to be put in jeopardy.

This led to the desire to create some form of governing body that could set standards for all types of zoos across the region.

The Director of National Zoo of Malaysia, Idris Malik, wrote the proposal for the creation of SEAZA.

Harrison worked with all the members of SEAZA to establish a written constitution that would guide behavior for zoos in Southeast Asia in 1998.

This was motivated in part by the economic crisis of 1997 that started in Thailand and caused the SEAZA to miss their scheduled meeting in Ho Chi Minh City.

[1] In the mid-2000s, Dr Phan Viet Lam, the director of the Saigon Zoo, took over as president and is currently in office.

SEAZA held its 21st yearly conference in November 2013 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

These are as follows, • Animals should have access to sufficient food • Access to sufficient drinking water • Shelter to inclement weather • A clean enclosure to reduce the spread of infectious diseases • Responsible staff to care for them when they are in distress • All animals should exhibit normal behavior.

This has led some experts to claim that the SEAZA is more like an organization of refugee camps for animals who were displaced from their natural habitats.

With respect to conservation and species rehabilitation, SEAZA attempts to enforce the mandates of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered species (CITES) established in Geneva Switzerland in 1973 that set up policies on trading and exporting animals across international borders.

Many Southeast Asia animals are heavily regulated under this treaty, due to a recent loss of habitat.

While this is the general definition, most of the members of SEAZA are traditional zoos located on approximately 300 acres of land, have anywhere from 200-500 animals, about 35-40 zookeepers, and 2-4 veterinarians.

- Have a primary mission of the member to exhibit, conserve, and preserve the world's fauna in a scientific and educational manner.

The evaluation focused on elephants Asiatic black bears, and orangutans because large animals require higher living standards, and more stimulation.

Finally these animals were chosen because they are deemed critical to the conservation efforts of the countries of Southeast Asia.

Most policies in Southeast Asia focus on the conservation of entire ecosystems and little on specific species that are endangered.

Because Southeast Asia nations lack the resources to support both imperatives, SEAZA has a hard time enforcing the regulations of CITES prohibiting exhibiting some animals illegally and controlling the exportation of native species such as sun bears.

Most of the zoos in Southeast Asia, with the noticeable exception of Singapore, can be classified as in some sort of critical status.

Many SEAZA conventional zoos (non-sanctuary or wildlife parks) have come under direct scrutiny, and most are falling below standards, causing fractures in the foundation of SEAZA, and rather than stepping up to fix these standards, the once prominent organization appears to be retreating away from the line of sight of western countries and scrutiny.

The controversy started in January 2014 when a young lion was found hanged in his cage, after suspiciously getting caught in his ropes while playing.

This incident started an investigation where many animals were found to be kept in poor condition and suffering from disease or malnutrition and neglect from keepers.

With current issues surrounding SEAZA and the deforestation and future endangerment of many SEA species of animals there is much that is requiring action.

It is unclear the direction that the SEAZA Conference will take in 2014 after the recent controversies and public attention that some of its members have received.