Covering 25 hectares (62 acres), it is situated on Brymer Road in the Hamilton suburb of Rotokauri, on the outskirts of the metropolitan area towards the northwest.

It is owned by the Hamilton City Council with the Department of Recreation and Welfare handling the day-to-day running of the site.

The zoo become unprofitable and was facing closure in 1976 before the Hamilton City Council stepped in and bought the site, buildings, and stock.

They received names from the Nepalese language: Nima (sun), Karma (star) and Dawa (moon).

[8] In October 1999, Hamilton Zoo received three southern white rhinoceros from Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Eight-year-old bull, Zambezi, and five-year-old cows, Moesha and Caballe, were part of an Australsian import of white rhinoceros, which were sent to the Auckland, Hamilton, Werribee Open Range and Perth Zoos.

The Hamilton Zoo herd currently consists of bull, Kruger, and cows, Moesha, Kito, Imani and Jamila.

He was joined by purebred Rothchild's bulls, Makulu, from Orana Wildlife Park in 2000 and Chitumbii, from Perth Zoo in 2001.

[14] Initially, Hamilton Zoo intended to import a female for breeding, but the species coordinator recommended they operate as a holder for surplus bulls, creating a bachelor herd.

All four young bulls were born at Auckland Zoo between 2002 and 2006 and were fathered by Makulu's older brother, Zabulu.

In March 2001, 14-month-old Sumatran tiger siblings, male Jaka, and females Mencari and Molek, arrived from Wellington Zoo.

[17] Although not originally intended to breed, the death of their sister, Nisha in May 2006 caused the species coordinator to recommend one of the Hamilton Zoo females to take her place.

[18] In July 2012, Hamilton Zoo received a four-year-old tigress, Sali, from Dreamworld on the Gold Coast.

[24] In March 2003, Hamilton Zoo's otters, Moba and Jasmine, produced five pups which unfortunately died of a mystery illness.

In July, six chimpanzee, Susie, Sally, Mike, Lucy, Lucifer and Luka, arrived from Auckland Zoo.

[28][29] The top of Mike's finger had been bitten off, following an altercation with Luca, and while antibiotics were prescribed, the infection quickly spread to his arm.

[33] On 20 September 2015, Hamilton Zoo's Curator Samantha Kudeweh was killed by a male Sumatran tiger, named Oz.