Gembira Loka Zoo was opened in 1956 and comprises a botanical garden, orchid nursery, (artificial) lake, children's park, numerous scenic bridges across the Gajahwong River, and a collection of approximately 470 animals, most notable of which are its native Indonesian tigers, leopards, Komodo dragons, saltwater crocodiles, orangutans, and gibbons, as well as African animals such as lions, camels and hippopotamus.

[1] In 2019, an area called Zona Cakar ("Scratch Zone") was opened, focusing on mammalian carnivores, especially cats.

[4] Gembira Loka has over 5 zones, each representing certain groups of animals from primates to reptiles as well as birds and carnivorans.

A separate, larger freshwater tank is present just across the Aquarium, displaying pirarucu, alligator gars, pacus, and redtail catfish.

Other species in the zoo are meerkats, capybaras, saltwater crocodiles, Javan rusa deer, pygmy hippopotamus, binturong, Java mouse-deers, and African lions.