It focuses on the breeding and conservation of endangered animal species, scientific and research work, education of the public, and providing recreational facilities in the city.

It offers educational programs for children and students and allows the public to symbolically adopt an animal from the zoo for a fee.

During the first decade of the existence of the zoo, there was already some achievement regarding breeding of macaques, baboons, porcupines, nutrias, leopards, pumas and dingos.

In 2002 and 2003, the new enclosure for Turkmenian kulans, Bactrian camels and Shetland ponies was constructed in the forested part of the zoo and the building of a breeding facility for Heptner's markhor and Barbary sheep had begun.

The second reduction was in 2003, when construction for the D2 motorway access road to the Sitina Tunnel forced a relocation of the entrance gate.

Subsequently, the zoo had been closed to the public from December 2003, until the building of a new entrance, parking lot and noise barrier wall was finished.

[6] As of 2024 the Bratislava Zoo contains a collection of 194 animal species and approximately 1277 animals in total, including rare and endangered species such as white lions, Sri Lankan leopards, jaguars, brown bears, Eurasian wolves, red kangaroos, white rhinoceros, giraffes, zebra, Barbary macaques, red pandas, Sumatran orangutans, chimpanzees and snowy owls.

Indoor enclosures feature numerous reptiles, birds and mammals such as ring-tailed lemurs, meerkats, golden-handed tamarins, silvery marmosets, dwarf crocodiles.Zoo Bratislava is a member of the following zoo associations:[7]