Niabi Zoo has failed to gain its accreditation back after losing it in 2012, reports the Dispatch-Argus.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums held a hearing with Niabi officials in New Orleans last Friday. They rejected the zoo's bid to reinstate accreditation that day.

Niabi originally lost accreditation 7 years ago, when AZA officials found issues with staffing and poor conditions in their elephant enclosure. Elephants are no longer an exhibit at Niabi and have since been transferred to a zoo in Arkansas.

Zoo officials are disappointed in the AZA's decision. They want Niabi to be recognized for its standards in animal welfare and management, reports KWQC.

No word on if or how the rejection will affect renovations plans for the zoo, which are already in the works.

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