In 1954, the Oklahoma Zoological Society (OZS/ZOOfriends), a nonprofit organization, was created to help support the Oklahoma City Zoo in its mission to connect guests with our world's vanishing wildlife and wild places to take conservation action. This is accomplished through fundraising and special events. OZS is a separate entity of the OKC Zoo and is governed by a board of directors. The OKC Zoo is a fully accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the American Association of Museums and is accredited as a botanical garden.