Completing the game in 10 Animals

[KönigDerKaffeebohnen]

I thought a bit and im quite sure that the game can be brought to a fully satisfying state in just 10 animals without major holes left afterwards.
The animals can be neatly split into 3 groups of Birds, Monkeys and other Animals to fill the holes of birds, monkeys, south america and domestics.

First of we got a duo of ducks, the white faced whistling duck and the mallard.
Ducks and waterfowl in general are sorly needed and i think these two range maps are all that is needed to understand why i choose these 2 in particular, as together they cover ~70% of the earths landmasses, including every non antarctic continent and every single biome.
They gurantee that if you want waterfowl, you get one and look great while doing so.

Another advantage is the fact that all 3 forms of them look very different from each other, giving us effectly 4 different looking ducks. Did i just say 4? Yes because id like to see a common white colormorph with a yellow beak for the mallard, aswell as a piebald version as stand ins for domestic ducks and hybrids which on a species level all are just mallards.

As a third species of waterfowl and to get some variety id choose the roseate spoonbill. The main reason why it edges out its competition is that its a believeable aviary bird that could go into wetland aviarys with the whiteface whistling duck, but also cause it covers north america, more specifically the everglades. Currently an everglades centerd reason is kinda not interesting at all? Its gators and carnivorans, so the spoonbill would spice that up greatly and therefor boost my desire to build for gators by a lot, which id call a win win.
It also gains bonus points for being what everyone wants from another flamingo aka being pink while looking much more interesting then another flamingo, so another win

Moving on to Monkeys, the players are quite clear.
2 new world ones and a baboon.
The baboon is rather easy, as the hamadryas baboon offers the most additinional benefits, as its not just a savannah or mountain animal but also a desert one. Its also the last missing puzzle piece for north africa to feel complete and even got a connection to ancient egypt, which is imo one of the more underated area themes out there.
For the south american ones, as im going free choice the logical choises are a spider monkey and a tamarin, as those are easily the most unique primates from south america with the most usefull rigs to multiply. My personal choice would be geoffreys spider monkey and the cotton top tamarin, but any of them are valid choices.

For the 4 others, they can basicly be split into 2 categorys:
Domestics and South America
For domestics, besides the duck the 2 id choose to best fit with the lama would be the african dwarf goat and kunekune pig.
The african dwarf goat is way smaller the other caprines due to dwarfism, got lots of colors and would offer opposite biomes to our current capprines with tropical, wetlands, grasslands and desert, meanwhile the kunekune pig is from new zealand, very colorfull and with a love for water that would make them stand out from the other pigs.
For south america, my choices would be the coati and the mara, as both are very unique and extremly common in captivity mammals that both offer something unique, the one being a none primate climber and a generally great filler animal and the other being from non tropical southern south america and being a great addition to any lama habitat while being able to stand on their own.

Thats it for my list, but i got a few honorable mentions:

• the black buck would be the best standalone candidate to fix the southern Asian ungulate hole
• Short beaked echidna and tree kangaroo would both do alot for oceania
• both africa and asia need atleast 3 more exhibits each, with both having not many exhibits and half of the exhibits africa has either look very janky or are just generally very weird inclusions. A chameleon and a cobra alone would be a blessing, but both really just need some quantity in choices here

 

[Annie_konik]

Very interesting take. I especially agree with you about the Spoonbill.

I personally don't need two ducks, especially if they take 2 spots from the last 10 animals added. Maybe a different type of bird instead, even a goose but probably something else entirely. Pelican perhaps?

As for domestics, I would like some, yes. Probably two would be enough. Not sure if pigs would have my vote though.

I also agree about the need for a chameleon and cobra. Yes please

 

[NachoB]

I think of this as niche to be filled, regions that need to get fair represantion and animal groups that need to be expanded.

I'm going to try to be objective and not just picking my favorites but what would do more for the game in general.

More habitat birds is the first cathegory which could be divided as well in:

• waterfowl
• South american tropical bird
• african savannah bird

Ducks and pelicans are the two most iconic birds types that we could get based on the swan.

Having two ducks and the another wading bird is kind of unbalanced for reaching that goal.

We do need more waterfowl so on that i agree that we need more than one and i love the spoonbill but i think a pelican fills more gaps than a spoonbill.

The White face whistling duck OR the mallard duck (even the mandarín duck to some degree specially if considering only captive presence) both do the job here but having both at the same time would deprive us of a slot for other animal types or Birds we also need.

I would go with the WFWD because it fleshes out both Africa and SA and can be used for indoor tropical houses as well as mixed species open exhibits and ponds. But the mallard is probably the most common duck in the temperate regions and widespread pretty much all over the world, it also helps boost the desire for more domestics that some people have. So really could be one or the other: one more exotic, one more common. But i think we should pick one and not the two since besides ducks there are other animal types that need more reps.

The next one would be a pelican. The Brown pelican is the most interesting looking imo and would give something to the Américas and the Caribbean a región that has also been neglected maybe as much as Patagonia, but the great white pelican is also the most famous, large and widespread species and would cover Europe, Asia and Africa. I guess which pelican we choose comes down to which duck we get. If it is the mallard them i rather get the Brown pelican so we get something for tropical central and South América.

So to summerize so far:

• A duck, either WFWD or Mallard
• A pelican, Brown or Great white

Following that, we need to look at the región of the world in need of more animals and that has been getting scattered species across packs the last four years while the rest of the world got at least two dedicated packs (or more) to other continents. I'm of course talking Latinamerica.

And the first critical group of animals that need to be expanded here are NWM as we all know. I'm going to be realistic and pick just one because i'm thinking about this as i write it so if by the end i still have a spot left then for another i'll add it.

But for starters we should consider three possible picks: the howler (my prefered one), the spider monkey and a small primate, mainly the Golden lion tamarin but could also be the squirrel monkey.

I think the capuchin is on the smaller size (not really small like squirrel and tamarins but smallish) so i think priority should go to a larger SA primate. Howlers have a lot going for them from how common they are in captivity and in the wild, specially here, to the great ambience they would create with their vocalization and the use of the chorus behaviour that i swear other than wolves and gibbons i would've swear it was trailor nade for this animals. On the other hand the spider monkeys are THE icon of a monkey: long prehensile tail, swings and climbs around, hangs from it's tail, has the classic monkey build. Is also popular and common in zoos, extremely entertaining and there are species in all the Américas.

In the end because of all that i have to give the NWM spot to the spider monkey.

Next is fleshing out LATAM fauna. Patagonia and the to a lesser extent the SA grasslands are: one just basically just empty in game and the other missing one key player and like i've said several times one of the few trully iconic animals from SA left. I'm talking ofc about the rhea. It will complete (at least in general terms) the ratite group, would give SA it's biggest, more common large bird both in the wild and captivity and helps fills those holes in Patagonia and the pampas. Rheas are extremely common in captivity and the wild here and spread across the whole continent almost, they look different enough from ostriches in their shape, size coloration and feathers to be a bit more than just an ostrich clone, they are usefull for mixed Grasslands, scrublands, Wetlands and petting zoo enclosures and can be mixed with tons of animals. So the rhea to me is a must get.

The other animal that would at least take the Patagonia out of the red and goes along nicely as a combo with the rhea is the Patagonian mara. Extremely common in captivity as well even as free roaming and walkthrough habitats animals, also able to be mixed with several species and would add yet another one of the largest rodents in the world and from a región that desperatly needs, well, something at the very least. And beats a llama recolored clone like the guanaco. Would be unique in looks, movements and behaviour, SO despite being a rodent it almost fills the niche of a small grazing ungulate.

Then there is something more for the jungles of LATAM. Something that climbs and so provides fun building enclosures for climbing animals. Something that is both cute and very active and entertaining to watch. Something that is also one of the most requested animals and a carnivore (but not a cat or a dog so a win win for both Frontier and us). So i'm talking of course about the coati. Could be either Ringtailed (the southamerican one which is my prefered choice) or the White nosed. The latter has the advantage of being useful for deserts houses and coastal / Caribbean themed exhibits as well as tropical rainforests and it is found both in Central and NA. So despite not being the species i personally want i recognize it might be the most useful one of the two in the end.

So let's summarize again what i got so far:

• A duck: WFWD or Mallard
• A pelican: Brown or GWP
• A spider monkey
• Greater rhea
• Patagonian Mara
• A coati species, possibly the WNC

That leaves four animals left to complete the ten the OP proposed. And after fleshing out LATAM so much (although not enough still imo) i think we should Focus on the rest of the world. What else is really needed out there?

There are a lot of cathegories that imo could get some love:

1. African ground birds: while the secretary is the most popular the grey crowned crane and the guineafowls are the icons that we are missing from african savannah habitats. We could argue that the Ostrich already fills this role but having variation (and more bird types) would do wonders for the options when creating this type of habitats. I think the crane and guineafowl beats the secretary bird in this sense since they can share exhibit with a lot of animals. The secretary bird is a lot more unique and interesting on it's own right though so is also a valid option, but being completly objective the other two would add more to mixed habitats.

2. Old world monkeys: despite missing a true jungle monkey from África we already have a wide array of tropical rainforest primates from África and the lemurs somehow fill that niche in a way, so i think the priority should be in getting a savannah or dry environment species and ofc the numbers one pick would be a baboon. Hamadryas seem to be the most popular although olive could work as well. Going in favor of the hamadryas we could say it also adds to the Middle East roster and is the one baboon that looks pretty distinctive from the others with their hairy arragement and that is also useful for desert exhibits as well. So hamadryas gets the win here.

3. Domestics: while not my prefered cathegory like you all probably know and really not something i want taking up a slot in the final ten but i know a lot of people crave for this. The pygmy goat seem to be the most asked for domestic animal since is one of the most common animals in farm and Children's sections in zoos. Sure is cute and i guess would be fun to have but i think after getting a duck the only other real domestic animal that would trully add something new to the game would be a rabbit. We could even get it in a wild form. The arctic haré with It's snowball looks adds something more to the arctic that is not an ungulate (despite me wanting the musk ox a lot) or the european rabbits which can easily pass a full domestic, and has it's use as a message for conservation (since is endangered in it's native range but is also a pest everywhere else in the world). On top of that a rabbit would gives a full new rig for modders. I don't really think that any other domestics are that much needed than these two.

4. The missing icons: ABB from NA, blackbuck from India ( no, the saiga did not fill the asían antelope niche, it doesn't have the versability the blackbuck has), Palla's cat from the Himalayas, Tree kangaroo from Oceania (another one we were robbed with the Oceania pack), short beaked echidna from Australia, Golden pheasant from China, Serval/honey badger/Nile croc from África, Musk ox and walrus from the Arctic, etc. Trully a lot of options, so choosing the last animal might be really difficult and all of them are valid options.

So in short:

• A duck, WFWD or Mallard duck
• A pelican, Brown or GWP
• Spider monkey
• Rhea
• Patagonian mara
• Coati species
• Hamadryas baboon
• Grey crowned crane or guineafowl
• A rabbit
• A popular animal ( anything could go here out of those options really so pick your poison). I personally would go for something from Oceania / Asia or the blackbuck or musk ox but i know that the ABB might be the one that most US players pick here.

Another cathegory is not talked much about that needs fleshing out as well is habitat reptiles which could be filled by a freshwater turtle (Arrau being my personal favorite but a softshell or snapping turtle could work as well), a middle size tortoise ( african spurred tortoise, radiated, Indian Star or red footed although the Sulcata wins slightly because it works for desertix environments), an Australian monitor (Perentie or lace would do since monitores are very iconic for Australian drylands, the frilled lizard while not a monitor would be nice too for an Australian reptile) and the Argentinian tegu to get a large land reptiles that is not a monitor. Then there is any african crocs, Nile being the most iconic but not the most unique, but i think we have a lot of crocs already and something else should take priority in a top ten. Any of those could fit the tenth spot as well.

 

[Marvinb]

I dont really think you can really complete the game with only 10 animals.
But these 10 definetly do a great job of patching up the most obvious open holes in the roster, and if the next DLC truly is the last one this roster is pretty much the ideal one. Although i agree that one of the ducks maybe should be something different like a pelican

 

[CharlieXGaming]

So in short:

• A duck, WFWD or Mallard duck
• A pelican, Brown or GWP
• Spider monkey
• Rhea
• Patagonian mara
• Coati species
• Hamadryas baboon
• Grey crowned crane or guineafowl
• A rabbit
• A popular animal ( anything could go here out of those options really so pick your poison). I personally would go for something from Oceania / Asia or the blackbuck or musk ox but i know that the ABB might be the one that most US players pick here.

I really like this list, theres great reasoning behind each one and it would work wonders in being the closest to complete the roster. I do have one small critique though..

1. African ground birds: while the secretary is the most popular the grey crowned crane and the guineafowls are the icons that we are missing from african savannah habitats. We could argue that the Ostrich already fills this role but having variation (and more bird types) would do wonders for the options when creating this type of habitats. I think the crane and guineafowl beats the secretary bird in this sense since they can share exhibit with a lot of animals. The secretary bird is a lot more unique and interesting on it's own right though so is also a valid option, but being completly objective the other two would add more to mixed habitats.

Your points about the Secretary being very unique on its own and the Guineafowl and Grey Crowned Crane are very versatile for mixed enclosures are great, but theres another bird that has both of these traits, that being the Southern Ground Hornbill. The Hornbill can be combined with a lot of African animals, at my local zoo they are combined with Zebras, Ostriches, Nyala and other African birds like storks and vultures. Another example from another zoo:

They are a different size than the rest of African birds we have or can get like Grey crowned crane or Guineafowl, and they are extremely unique in colouring and behavior. They can be based off the peafowl rig potentially and would be the closest thing we get to a vulture.

 

[ElectricMonk]

Good list…. Personally I’d drop the domestics for a grey langur and a tree kangaroo and swap out a duck for a pelican…. I still wouldn’t consider the game ‘complete’ though - a lot more than 10 additions is required for that, even excluding most birds and domestics.

 

[NachoB]

I really like this list, theres great reasoning behind each one and it would work wonders in being the closest to complete the roster. I do have one small critique though..

Your points about the Secretary being very unique on its own and the Guineafowl and Grey Crowned Crane are very versatile for mixed enclosures are great, but theres another bird that has both of these traits, that being the Southern Ground Hornbill. The Hornbill can be combined with a lot of African animals, at my local zoo they are combined with Zebras, Ostriches, Nyala and other African birds like storks and vultures. Another example from another zoo:

They are a different size than the rest of African birds we have or can get like Grey crowned crane or Guineafowl, and they are extremely unique in colouring and behavior. They can be based off the peafowl rig potentially and would be the closest thing we get to a vulture.

Yes they are also an option. I just didn't mentioned them because they are not talked about that much so i haven't seen as much demand for them compared to the other but they would server the same function. They are also no that well known among general audiences like the crane or the guineafowls.

 

[Cynogale bennettii II]

For the ducks, I would replace the white-faced whistling duck with the fulvous whistling duck - not quite as commonly-kept, but more widespread in the wild. As well as living in South America, mainland Africa and Madagascar like the white-faced whistling duck, they also live in Central America, the Caribbean islands, the Everglades and India. I would then replace the mallard, which I basically feel nothing for, with the great white pelican. That would give a bird that also lives in Africa and India, but also in the Middle East, Central Asia and Southeast Europe.

 

[Annie_konik]

My favorite duck would be Mandarin, I know it doesn't have a wide distribution but it's very colorful and extremely common in captivity. White-faced Whistling duck would be nice too. Or a Carolina Duck. Or almost any other duck. Only Mallard would be a bit of a disappointment, maybe they look a bit too boring to me.

 

[KönigDerKaffeebohnen]

Are Mallards boring though?
Ik we see them all the time but an animal found across most of the world with strong gender dimorphism, irridescent blue and green feathers, yellow beaks and the ability to double up as a domestic really sounds the opposite of boring to me

 

[Annie_konik]

Yeah, maybe it's just how common they are. I go for a walk and something like 80% of the water birds I see are Mallards I swear I'm more excited to see a Gadwall: a plain-looking duck but less common. Tufted Ducks are also quite cute.

But true, Mallards are quite colorful and have some shiny feathers and dimorphism. And very wide distribution across the world. And even double up as domestics as you said. I wouldn't mind them in the game. But any other duck would make me happier.

 

[RightWhale]

I really like this thread! While I agree 10 animals aren’t enough, if played well we can fill as many niches as possible. At least we can get to a point where I feel good enough.

I actually like both lists made by @KönigDerKaffeebohnen and @NachoB , personally I would be happy if we got either. If I were to personally make this list, I would avoid doubling up on animals outside of birds. I would also try to cover as much representation in continents as possible. So this would be my personal 10 animals:

1. WFW duck for obvious reasons stated by @KönigDerKaffeebohnen above, massive area coverage and beautiful bird. Though I agree with @Cynogale bennettii II with the frivolous whistling duck, it covers more area. Though I just love that silly white face. While I love the mallard, I just think SA and Africa could use a waterfowl more. Though it kills me to not include an animal I can use in my local temperate NA zoo.
2. I would also include the brown pelican personally my preference also as a Caribbean rep.
3. I also want the roseate spoonbill , covers SA, NA, and the Caribbean. Also fulfills as another pink bird.
4. The Rhea would be my other SA bird, sorry to the Patagonian mara, I would rather get the Rhea.
5. The white nosed coati would be my coati of choice, it also acts as a desert and Mexican animal.
6. For my NWM I’m gonna give it to the Howler Monkey though if there is a monkey that covers more range I would take it.

So my pack would easily have a heavy SA/ tropical NA lean. Which is the region I think deserves it the most, the following 4 animals would be for other continents.

1. As much as it pains me, I’m gonna give it to the baboon. While I would prefer a true monkey, the mandrill and lemurs fill the African rainforest role pretty well.
2. For another African rep, another African ground bird would do. Any of the top three that can mix with other habitat species work for me. So grey crowned crane, ground hornbill, or helmeted guineafowl would all work for me. Pick your poison.
3. For a domestic I think the Nigerian dwarf goat is simply the best option.
4. For my final animal, I think an Asian rep would be good. Either the musk ox, black buck, or my very personal choice would be the Peere David’s deer. Though even with this list being bird heavy, golden pheasant or mandarin duck would also be lovely Asian representation.

Then give two exhibit animals:

1. Jackson Chameleon
2. King cobra

Then this would be the 10 habitat animals and 2 exhibit animals I think would fill the most niches. Obviously there is 20 or more animals I think we “need”. No shock most of it is birds, and with a heavy SA representation. Do I think Frontier will do anything seen in this thread? Probably not. Makes for fun conversation though.

 

[RightWhale]

Though now that I think about it, if Arid can give multiple antelope I don’t see why I can’t get multiple ducks in one pack. I have waited long enough! I want to be selfish gosh darn it!

 

[Rudyn]

If I had to choose ten animals it would be hard how others said before mee 10 really not covers or the needed ones or the regions of the world.
My order may won't represnt the order how much I want more how the order they came into in my mind so since everybody started with the duck lets not break that pattern.
Althought I really want an offical goose species like unique canadian goose or the beautiful red-breasted goose. Bc of apperence and role I will go with the ducks. And
with the mallard: Althought for apperence I also prefer WFW duck or the mandarin duck mallard is a cosmopolitan species and has the basick duck model. They can be found many zoos, parks, cities so it could be put in almost all kind of habitat build.
My secound spot would be an african ground bird I can't choose between this two unique african species so Grey-crowned crane or African marabou stork both can be kept with other African animals ofc in the case of marabou you don't wanna put them together with smallet then an aadvark animals. But in many zoo they keep both species toghether with antilopes, giraffes, gazelles or with other African middle and large birds.
For third spot: I go with a pelican also a really unique really needed water bird but I go with the great white pelican it's more common in zoos at least in Europe and also can be found in 3 continent, also they live in freshwater and brackish areas.
For fourth I go with the grey heron really common and uniqe and also relly pretty heron species. It goes well with many theme since they can be found in three continents and there are also many historick illustration of the animal ( medival europe, ancient egypt, 1800's Japan) so many theme object could be made based of the heron.
For fifth I agree with the rhea both the greater or the darwin would be nice and finish the ratites.
Let see the not birdy 5.
So from South-America althought I see most people want larger SA monkey I would prefer the smaller one I never saw a howler monkey in zoos, and at least in Europe they are rarer. There are around european 28 zoos which keeps Venezuelan red howler or Paraguay black howlers but spider monkeis are more common, still most zoos keeps at least one smaller South- American monkey species, or many times a collection of them. Althought I really like squirrel monkeys I go with the tamarin and with the golden lion tamarin sicne it has a famous saving history which included zoos which had huge part saving the species from extinction . I would love an emperor or a pied tamarin ( the mustache and the yoda one) too.

Next is the coati. Really common in zoos, they are playful and lazy, cute but also bite, good both in trees and ground. Bc of they adaptibility they could be found in many habitats from rainforest, to cerrado, to dryer habitats, I would still prefer the ring-tailed one tho.

For next I go with the European hare a unique European animal with many funny medival art piece and finally we would have a rabbit, hare animation. Althought may not the most sreached animals hares and rabbits are commonly found in zoos at least in domesticated version. Also they go well with grassland, forest or even with dry theme. I would also be happy with european rabbit or with the black-tailed jackrabbit.

Next is the tree kangaroo: Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo or the Matschie's tree-kangaroo. I am still a little bit disappointed that we did not got them in the oceania pack. It's an endangered and beautiful tree climbing masupial which goes well with both australian and island based zoos or with a tropical biome theme. Also most species from New-Guinea which still one of the most untouched part of the world.

Aye-aye: One of my favourite primate from Madagascar, a creepy looking, nightime guy with the unique finger. It would add one more nightime animal to the game also an unique primate. Althought I agree that we need more primates like the hamadryas baboon or the pretty red-shanked douc or the above mentiones SH species, but Aye-aye still one animal what I really miss from Madagascar. This nightime weirdo also may would bring some nighthouse elements to the game. It's not a common zoo animal, but can be found in zoos. And may could bring a rig if we don't count the finger in which could be use for other tree top dwelling animals like squirrels.

So my list is:
1. Mallard
2. Grey-crowned crane or African marabou stork
3. Great white pelican
4. Grey heron
5. Rhea: Greater or Darwin
6. Golden lion tamarin
7.Coati: Preferably ring-tailed
8. European hare
9. Tree kangaroo: Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo or the Matschie's tree-kangaroo.
10.Aye-aye


I am a little bit sad that I coudn't include this 4:

Shoebill stork: A very unique and I will kill you face African bird with just one remaining species in its family.

Honey badger: Who cares? XD but really it's one of the small carnivore what somehow I miss although in game behaviour may they would be the afro- south asian wolverine.

Three-banded armadillos: I really really want to see a non pangolin like ball animation and this species and may the hedgehog would be the best candidates for this.

Pallas's cat: just look at that cat face and apperence especially the winter coat. Also a unique and interesting cat species and althought it's a small cat it has large round pupils like big and large cats (cheetah, coaguar) and nobody sure why. They can be found in various habitat in mountain regions, throught grasslland, throught rocky areas to continental semi-desserts. The wild Garfield how I heard once from a zoo visitor.

But:
Short-beaked echidna, Squirells, Black-and rufous elephant shrew, Chinese giant salamandra, Great mara, Bush dog, Toucans, Walruses, Norhtern bald ibis, Scarlet ibis , Mata-mata turtle, Earless monitor lizard , Frilled lizard, Beared dragon, Green anaconda, Reticulated python, Burmese python, Nile crocodile, Bharal, Musk ox, North American porcupine, Virginia opossum, Marmots, Chameleons, Day geckos, Kagu bird, Crowned pigeons, Birds of paradise species, Harbour seal, Rockhopper penguins, Puffins, Owls, Vultures, Eagles, Parrots, Kooakaburas, Hummingbirds, Pheasants, Storks, Polecats, Sifakas, Spider monkeys, Gliders, Cuscuses, African spurred tortoise, Secretary bird, Martens, Civets, Genets, Muntjack deers, Water deer, Dik-dik antilopes, Duikers all of them would be nice additions in my oppinion. So this is why it's hard to choose only 10.

 

[Fossa]

The hate for the secretary bird is showing again, not a fan of any of these 10 animal lists, only agree with pelicans, tree kangaroos, walrus and echidna.

 

[KönigDerKaffeebohnen]

The hate for the secretary bird is showing again, not a fan of any of these 10 animal lists, only agree with pelicans, tree kangaroos, walrus and echidna.

What would be your last 10 then?

 

[RightWhale]

The hate for the secretary bird is showing again, not a fan of any of these 10 animal lists, only agree with pelicans, tree kangaroos, walrus and echidna.

I don’t think people not choosing secretary birds = they hate them.

No more than if I see people not include the white faced whistling duck then they must hate them!

I think the game needs birds and monkeys, so if I see people make a list of not-monkey-mammals it would be rude to assume they must hate what I like right? I promise there isn’t a cabal of people against the secretary bird, and with it being #1 on the meta wishlist the odds are it will get in.

 

[KönigDerKaffeebohnen]

Its not that i hate the secretary bird or anything, in fact i think its a very beautiful animal and one of the few that i made a high quality drawing of, but it just doesnt match my criteria for the last few animals as my nr 1 priority here is bandaging up as many holes as possible with a limited nr of animals and just being a standalone cool animal doesnt cut it for that.
Best example for that is that i also didnt include a pelican but 2 ducks, because those 2 ducks combined cover every relevant part of the world with a basic waterfowl while also both adding extra utility as a domestic or as part of tropical aviarys.
Standalone a pelican bodies either duck in appeal, but imo filling the waterfowl howl for everywhere is more important, as if you cut the mallard NA, Oceania and the colder Biomes lack that basic waterfowl and if you cut the white faced whistling duck its south america and madagascar that lack it, neither option being less preferable then adding the great white pelican, which would be my favored pelican

 

[SuzieSky]

Not in order of preference:

1. Golden Lion Tamarin: This conservation success story is adorable, colorful, common in zoos, represents a neglected primate taxon, and adds something for South America. I think it is the best species they could add, and it is also my favorite zoo animal. It would be a dream if the developers could also squeeze in the Cotton Top (most common in zoos) and the Emperor (cute face) Tamarins as well.
2. Geoffroy's Spider Monkey or Howler Monkey: New World primates are pretty lacking, so one of the bigger ones would be nice. I think there is an ok mod for the howler, so I would personally go with the Spider Monkey, which I also think would be more fun to watch. If the devs don't have the resources to add a spider monkey, the howler monkey is still iconic, popular, and a great addition. I really want both.
3. South American Coati: SA needs a non-primate, arboreal habitat animal. This one is popular, iconic, and common in zoos.
4. Roseate Spoonbill, Scarlet Ibis, or American Flamingo: This would give the Caribbean, South America, and even a tiny bit of North America a much-needed bird. I have trouble deciding which is best and would be happy to see any of them.
5. Duck (probably Mandarin or Mallard): I don't mind installing a bunch of duck mods to get a good bunch of waterfowl, but I would like them to quack and behave like ducks. The mallard has a big range and is one of the most recognizable, but I don't usually see them showcased. They usually just claim an open pond. The mandarin duck is flashier, also common in zoos, and would probably sell better. I think the Mandarin duck is the better choice. As long as we get at least one with a normal enough quack and behaviors, I don't care too much.
6. Grey Crowned Crane (or Secretary Bird): Africa has a bunch of popular birds. The GCC seems to be universally liked, it is flashy, can go with other animals, and is common in zoos. The secretary bird was awesome in ZT2 and would also be great if the developers want to make it. I would be happy with either or both.
7. Hamadryas Baboon: This is definitely not one of my favorite animals, but building an arid monkey habitat would be a new thing to do. This popular animal also finishes the Middle East. The game won't seem complete to me without a proper baboon. However, I might get more use out of a smaller, tropical species or two, like the De Brazza's Guenon or Guereza.
8. Tree Kangaroo: They are endangered, adorable, and very popular. I don't care too much which species; I just want one in the game.
9. American Black Bear: I grew up in the Appalachian mountains, where the black bear is the only big icon. I've been waiting for my one local animal since launch. With all of the color variations, range in all biomes, and ZT nostalgia, I think other people would like it, too. It would be a perfect starter bear for new zoos. There are only two bear species left. It would be a shame to leave out either.
10. Ocelot, Serval, Muntjac, or Pelican: I feel less strongly about the last slot. If I didn't need to care what anybody else thought, I would probably throw in a serval. It's my third most-wanted animal and probably the one I'd use the most of the four. An ocelot would be more popular though, and SA needs stuff way more. Stepping away from cats, a rig for a small deer or a pelican might be the most useful. There are a lot of good options.

Other Thoughts

• Honorable Mentions: more tamarins, the other SA monkey, tropical African monkey(s), markhor (nostalgia goat), spectacled bear, and whatever wasn't chosen from #10.
• For regional needs, Argentina needs its rhea and/or mara. India needs a blackbuck, cobra, and probably a monkey. East Asia needs a bit more, too.
• Domestics: There are a bunch of good mods for them if I decide I need them at some point. A pack for them might be nice, but I don't want them if we're getting fewer than 20 animals.

 

[jcp011c]

Alrighty, here with go with mine, for the most part not going with an exact species, but just the general kind.

Howler Monkey species
Baboon species
second Latin American primate species - Squirrel Monkeys being my preferred, but really, Tamarins or Spider Monkeys would work too.
Coati species
Muskox
Duck species
Pelican species
Turkey species
Secretary Bird
Cobra species (E)

Honorable mentions:
Tree Kangaroo species
Chameleon Species
Spectacled Bear