nor a museum nor a botanical garden; rather, it was a unique natural history facility that includes all the things common to those institutions, with the goal of telling an integrated story about our continent's land and life. 1982 - The American Association of Museums awards their accreditation to the Tulsa Zoo. It becomes the 500th institution recognized. And a new snow leopard exhibit is built. 1984 - Oklahoma's first man-made cave was completed in the Eastern Forest Museum Building. The Tulsa Zoo's exhibit department constructed the entire cave and received the AAZPA's prestigious Significant Achievement Award. 1986 - The Tulsa Zoo celebrated the birth of a healthy male Asian elephant "Maverick". Maverick was the first elephant born in Oklahoma and also the only Asian elephant born in the U.S. that year. The zoo also moved their two giraffes from the previous exhibit to a new one funded by TZDI. 1988 - Dr. Jane Goodall visited the Tulsa Zoo and declared the zoo's chimpanzee exhibit one of the "top three exhibits in the U.S." and welcomed the Tulsa Zoo into her prestigious chimpanzoo program, an honor claimed by only 15 zoos in the country. Dinosaurs Alive! also took place this year being the first dinosaur exhibit hosted by the zoo. 1990 - Mary Collins was hired as Tulsa Zoo Friends (formerly TZDI) new executive director. Also With almost 700 party-goers Waltz On The Wild Side kicked off its first year of fundraising Zoo director Dave Zucconi becomes president of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association. 1991 - Tulsa Zoo Development Inc. officially changed its name to Tulsa Zoo Friends, Inc. And the indoor Chimpanzee Connection opened to the public. 1992 - Construction began on the new main entry, gift shop, elephant compound, commissary, exhibits building, animal reserve, and finally the new restaurant. 1993 - The Aldabra tortoise facility was completed. The Spotted Zebra Gift Shop, Safari Grille, and New entry officially opened. And Dinosaurs Alive! returned and welcomed 128,000 visitors in the three-month period. Maverick the Asian elephant soon became a Tulsa favorite when he was orphaned shortly after birth. At the young age of seven he unfortunately contracted a fast-moving bacterial infection and died. 1994 - The Shark Aquarium was completed and the first bronze statue "The Frog" was installed. 1995 - The BOK Pavilion and the Boatmen's/BANK IV Amphitheater were completed. Also, the award-winning Elephant Encounter Museum which