The animals that the visitors could contemplate at the opening were eagles, chickens, ducks, owls, rabbits, a fox, a seal in a bathtub and a turtle in a bucket.

Animals exhibited at the zoo that are not housed in any of the main areas include bactrian camels, American flamingos, scarlet ibises, roseate spoonbills, Dalmatian pelicans, turkey vultures, Humboldt penguins, California sea lions, black-capped squirrel monkeys, chimpanzees and lions.

In the part of the zoo called "The Nordics" (Danish: Norden), visitors can see species such as harbour seals, snowy owls, reindeer, musk oxen, brown bears, arctic foxes and grey wolves.

[12] In the "Asia" (Danish: Asien) section, visitors can see Oriental small-clawed otters, red pandas, Malayan tapirs, Amur leopards and tigers, Asian elephants, and other animals.

The new Elephant House, which opened in June 2008, is designed by Norman Foster in cooperation with the Danish landscape architect Stig L. Andersson.

[14] The paddock's border with Frederiksberg Gardens, once a 3-metre (9.8 ft) high wall, has been opened up so that people in the park can watch the elephants.

This is an open field with a visitor bridge above containing species such as white rhinoceroses, giraffes, impalas, sable antelopes, ostriches and plains zebras.

In the "South America" (Danish: Sydamerika) section, visitors can see species such as capybaras, guanacos, greater rheas, Patagonian maras, southern screamers and giant anteaters.

A healthy young male giraffe, Marius, was killed on 9 February 2014 on the recommendation of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria.

Bengt Holst stated that the capacity at YWP would be better utilised by a giraffe whose genes were less represented amongst EAZA zoos.

[18] Images of the carcass being cut up in front of children and then fed to the zoo's lion population were circulated by the Associated Press.

The zoo spokesperson, Tobias Stenbaek Bro, has been quoted as saying that visitors, including children, were invited to watch as the giraffe was skinned and parts fed to the lions.

[22][23][24][25] Copenhagen Zoo is used as location in the films Københavnere (1933), Wienerbarnet (1941), Hold fingrene fra mor (1951), Far til fire på landet (1955), Vi er allesammen tossede (1959), Rikki og mændene (1962), Den store badedag (1991), Jungledyret Hugo (1993), and Far til fire på japansk (2010).