The KIZ was established in April 1959, originally as the Insect Institute, Lac Division. In 1963, it became the Southwest Institute of Zoology, CAS and in 1970 it was placed under the jurisdiction of Yunnan Province and renamed the Yunnan Institute of Zoology. In 1978 it was returned to the Chinese Academy of Sciences that it was named the Kunming Institute of Zoology, CAS.