Monarto is administered by the Royal Zoological Society of South Australia, a non-profit organization who also run Adelaide Zoo.

[3][4][5] The zoo was created in 1983, on land owned by the state government as a closed-to-the-public, purpose breeding area and endangered species sanctuary.

The roads and trails within the zoo are constructed of local materials to keep them low maintenance, and to allow them to be easily re-integrated into the habitat should the need arise.

In late 2019, Monarto Zoo began a three-year project to convert itself into a safari park with luxury resort facilities.

[7] In August 2023, ZoosSA exceeded a fundraising campaign target of 2 million dollars to build a 15-hectare (37-acre) facility at Monarto Safari Park, to originally house Perth Zoo's remaining Asian elephants 'Putra Mas' and 'Permai', after their matriarch 'Tricia' passed away aged 65 in 2022, and an additional female elephant from Auckland Zoo called 'Burma'.

[citation needed] In 2006, the zoo began a breeding program for Tasmanian devils which are free of facial tumour disease.