On the afternoon of Saturday 16 December 1922, the zoo was opened by the Governor-General, Lord Jellicoe, with the mayor of Auckland James Gunson in attendance to a sizeable crowd.

[14] The council had a meeting on 26 July 1923 with the purpose of arranging the location of a flying aviary, a monkey house and accommodation for the polar bears, bison and birds of prey.

It transpired that Rajah's unpredictable nature was due to a lit cigarette being put up his trunk by a patron while still in Hobart, however there are no contemporary reports in the newspapers of the time to support this as sound evidence.

This resulted in improved fertility and reduced disease, and previously barren animals began to breed, Sawer was also a gifted marketer and pushed for greater attendance and an aquarium similar to that which had greatly increased visitor numbers at the New York Zoo.

He called for a clear objective for the zoo, attention to education, relaxation of restrictions on importing animals, and an increased ability to exhibit native New Zealand birds.

The end of the Depression and the subsequent economic recovery helped Sawer in the transformation of a group of emptying cages to a "full house of exhibits".

The end of the war found the zoo in a state of slight disrepair and depletion of stock, but in good condition considering the conflict of the previous six years.

[clarification needed] The next five years saw a commitment to increased expenditure by the council with improvements to existing or new enclosures for sun bears, wombats, echidnas, monkeys, tigers and birds.

Lane had just fed a young elephant, Kassala, and was climbing back through the rails between the stalls when Jamuna swung her trunk, knocking him into the wall and killing him instantly.

Aucklanders were now enjoying increased disposable income and free time; however, pubs, the cinema, and other attractions were still closed on Sundays and public holidays.

Public feeding continued at the zoo and the perennial problems with rats, eels and flooding was still ongoing, there was pressure on the facilities and ablutions, many were still the originals from opening and the first serious calls for expansion began.

However, the most important undertaking was the formulation of a 25-year plan by the Council including an expansion into Western Springs park and a move to natural, moated, barless enclosures.

Improvement in veterinarian practices and equipment, stopping of public feeding (1979) and more naturalistic enclosures lead to healthier, happier animals and subsequently breeding success increased.

The following year the zoo's entrance was moved to its current location (since renovated) in a carpark off Motions Road and the construction began on an improved animal hospital (completed in 1986 and since replaced by NZCCM).

However, visitor numbers started to show a decline, partly due to the opening of the Rainbow's End theme park and Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World in the Auckland area.

In the mid-1980s, a pair of chimpanzee, Mike and Lucy arrived from Taronga Zoo and formed a group with Auckland's youngest chimps, Suzie and Sally.

In 1986 the Chinese Government offered Australian Prime Minister Hawke a pair of giant pandas on loan for Australia's bi-centenary celebrations.

After extensive changes were made, including the addition of a pool, two-year-old Sumatran tiger siblings, Nisha and Malu, arrived from Wellington Zoo.

Following the unexpected death of Mzithi and Mbili, in September 2003, the orphaned Kito was sent to Hamilton Zoo in January 2004 to learn socialisation skills from their herd.

[29] In November 2000, Asian small clawed otter Jaya, gave birth to three males pups, named Jala, Jari and Jandra.

Nisha's sister, six-year-old Molek was imported from Hamilton Zoo in September and after mating with Oz, gave birth to triplets in June 2008.

In June 2010, the father, Kuching, was euthanased after being diagnosed with cancer and the decision was made to discontinue this species programme in Australasia, as Auckland and Hamilton were now the only institutions to hold golden cats.

[69] Bo gave birth to a male cub named Pabu (meaning puffball), in December 2012[70] and twins in January 2014[71] In October 2010, two-year-old Sumatran tigers, Jalur and Cinta, leave for Symbio Wildlife Park in Australia.

[76] Te Wao Nui covers over a 5th of the zoo grounds and is completely focused on showing visitors New Zealand's unique flora and fauna.

[82] In February 2014, Auckland Zoo announced the successful breeding and rearing of twin lesser short-tailed bats, a species endemic to New Zealand.

[88] In January 2016, the zoo celebrated the birth of two Nepalese red panda cubs, who are a very valuable addition to the international breeding programme for this endangered species.

[90] In February 2016, the zoo celebrated new additions to the breeding and rearing of New Zealand's rare and unique Archey's frog, the world's most evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered amphibian.

[89] In January 2017, the morning of New Year's Eve, Auckland Zoo welcomed the arrival of twin giraffe calves born to 7-year-old mother, Kiraka.

The decision, backed by Wellington Zoo, was further supported by users of social networking sites who set up "boycott Cadbury" groups, and a petition was signed urging Parliament to warn consumers about palm oil.

Another feature offered by the zoo are function facilities including an overnight stay option and twilight tours (Safari Nights) as well as behind-the-scenes experiences.