[6] It received MS ISO 9001:2008 certification in July 2007 and is a member of the South East Asian Zoos Association (SEAZA).

In 1963, the first prime minister of Malaya (now Malaysia), Yang Teramat Mulia (YTM) Tunku Abdul Rahman, opened the zoo to the public.

[1] The zoo remained surrounded by dense tropical forests until the late 1970s when Kuala Lumpur experienced rapid population growth fueled by an economic boom.

Nearby Ulu Klang was targeted for large-scale residential development to accommodate the expanding urban population, resulting in habitat loss in formerly wild areas surrounding the zoo.

[7] Australian Plain is home to emus, sulphur-crested cockatoos, galahs, agile wallabies, red kangaroos, and red-legged pademelons.

[7] Children's World houses a variety of mostly domestic animals including goats, rabbits, ducks, and chickens running around freely, as well as parrots and guinea pigs.

The Savannah Walk is one of the largest open concepts exhibits in the zoo, and is home to reticulated giraffes, plains zebras, helmeted guineafowls, southern ground hornbills, ostriches, white rhinos, sable antelopes, red lechwes, and scimitar oryx.

The aquarium exhibits show the ecosystem or the habitats of Malaysian river systems in the upper, middle, lower estuarine zones and finally, the sea.

The aquarium features fish that are commonly seen in Malaysian rivers, as well as rare and endangered species including invertebrates such as crabs, prawns, corals, and aquatic insects.

Among the insects at the zoo are butterflies such as the Rajah Brooke's birdwing, tree nymph and Indian leafwing species, orchid and dead leaf mantises, man-faced stink bugs, tarantulas, Malaysian giant scorpions, and many more.

Other animals in the zoo's collection include Ankole cattle, Asian small-clawed otters, red ruffed lemurs, red river hogs, axis deer, banteng, barasingha, Cape fur seals, capybara, dromedary camels, gaur, greater flamingos, lion-tailed macaques, red-capped mangabeys, Malayan tapirs, and sambar deer.