 The center was named in memory of Dr. Gabi Eshkar, deputy director-general and chief veterinarian of the zoo for over 17 years, who was killed in an automobile accident in 2004.The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo is a full member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA).Zoo director-general Shai Doron is the only EAZA Council Member from Israel in the 2009–2012 season, while general curator Shmulik Yedvab has been EAZA's European Endangered Species Programme project coordinator for the white-tailed sea eagle population of Europe and Asia since 1995.