Pécs Zoo was built as a community project by the locals between 1959 and 1961. The zoo was opened before the end of the construction work on 19 August 1960 and has been operational ever since as the only big traditional zoo in Southern Transdanubia. It is a member of the Hungarian Association of Zoos and Aquariums and received temporary membership to the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums in 2017. The zoo was established in a unique environment surrounded by several natural habitats that are part of the European Ecological Network called Natura 2000.

Its educational activities in the field of natural sciences are exemplary in Hungary. In addition to learning about the local natural environment, children can learn about the values the zoo represents such as nature education, environmental protection, and sustainable development. The activities of the zoo teach people to respect and value the diversity of nature and animal species, and they point out the need for a complex approach providing a bridge between nature and sustainable development. Pécs Zoo is the only zoo in Hungary that integrates a systematic approach in its educational activities drawing not only on biology and the presentation of species but also on other natural sciences.

The zoo is much more than a tourist attraction or an educational facility. It is also a symbol that provides insights into the natural riches of the world from Mecsek and functions as a bridge between the values of urban life and those of flora and fauna.