It was written by group members Rudolf Schenker (guitar) and Klaus Meine (vocals).

The song also features a talk box performed by lead guitarist Matthias Jabs.

When Meine first heard Schenker's riff, it reminded him of the band's earlier visit to a street in New York City humorously referred to as a "zoo".

Although the song was released as a single in 1980, it commercially underperformed with limited chart success, peaking at #75 in the UK.

Even so, it is a critically acclaimed heavy metal song, one critic noting that "The Zoo" is both "ominously slow and melodically accessible" with a key element being the "Berlin burlesque vocal melody".