Dream:
Any return to the diversity of packs like Wetlands/Grasslands. With most Latin American species found in zoos being among the most ignored groups, this region deserves a pack like that and it would be a bit of a slap in the face to get otherwise. I just want to be excited for an animal pack again, Oceania was the last pack I didn’t really have any major disappointments in.
Other dream inclusions would be more than one bird, and/or getting a bird, reptile, primate, and maybe even a rodent all in one pack or even just at least two out of those (which it’s frankly ridiculous that that’s unrealistic in the first place ngl)
Sorry not sorry but I’d prefer not to see a single ungulate here, my want for the pudu has gone down significantly after getting the dik-dik and even that I wouldn’t have taken over so, so many primates, birds, reptiles, and rodents. The same with carnivorans to a lesser extent, with the coati being the only one I’d actively celebrate. While I love the bush dog personally and wouldn’t be upset by it, I can’t really paint it as some amazing addition over so, so many other animals, and the ocelot is… okay. It has a great geographical range but I just can’t say I’d get excited over our third cat in a row, third from this region, and 16th overall.
If we get an oddball, I’d want it to be something a little more creative than the usual “throw a random ungulate/carnivoran at it”; something common but less requested like a chinchilla, Brazilian porcupine, small tortoise, or tegu, the sort of “I didn’t know I needed that” kind of animal.
Something like this would be ideal:
Roseate Spoonbill/Scarlet Ibis (I think the spoonbill is cuter but I’ll take either)
Greater Rhea
Patagonian Mara
South American Coati
Black Howler Monkey
Argentine Black and White Tegu
White-Faced Whistling Duck
Personally I have no major opinion on getting an exhibit animal vs. scenery since I love both about equally.
Not ideal but a pack I’d be decently happy with:
South American Coati
Bush Dog
Pretty much any monkey ngl
Greater Rhea
Patagonian Mara
Any waterfowl or wading bird species
Red-Footed Tortoise
Nightmare:
Another addition to the disappointment fest of animal packs with only one species that isn’t a carnivoran or ungulate. With how many we’ve gotten lately, any more than two ungulates would be disappointing, and even then I’d much prefer zero since there are far more needed groups for this region. No bird, non-crocodilian reptile, or monkey would be a total bummer as well, especially in a region so well known for those groups (though I doubt Frontier would ignore a monkey here with how badly the community has been crying for them… at least I’d hope so). Honestly, I’d be bummed to only get one bird at all here, and it sucks to say that’s a real possibility. All mammals would be ridiculous too.
Staying realistic, a nightmare pack would look something like this for me:
Second Capuchin
Ocelot
Marsh Deer
Southern Pudu
South American Coati
Brazilian Tapir
Vicuña (While I really don’t want either, I just wanna say if we have to get the region's third camelid instead of a bird, reptile, rodent, etc., I’d prefer the guanaco since looking at ZTL it’s significantly more common literally everywhere. The vicuña isn’t even kept outside of Eurasia and South America. Either way, both would be a nightmare, but the guanaco slightly less so)
