I've seen a lot of people making wishlists regarding an Extinct Species pack in the future, but a lot err on the side of "I want dinosaurs" or something else that is a bit more unrealistic towards a zoo experience. So this wishlist in particular only focuses on certain species of animal that are either possible to bring back, have been somewhat brought back already, or are stronger candidates for de-extinction based on how recently in history they went extinct and based on real-world breeding programs, science, cloning, and/or planning.
Many of these animals would probably be "disqualified" from being released to the wild if added to Planet Zoo, but who knows how they'd want to handle it.
The Most Realistic Candidates:
Many of these animals would probably be "disqualified" from being released to the wild if added to Planet Zoo, but who knows how they'd want to handle it.
The Most Realistic Candidates:
- Prezwalski's Horse -- No longer extinct in the wild thanks to breeding programs and science, but still very endangered.
- Thylacine a.k.a Tasmanian Tiger -- Went extinct in the 1930s. Last known member of this species was held in a zoo before it died due to negligent habitation and unprotected exposure to the elements. Scientists are talking about bringing it back via DNA from preserved specimens. A full nuclear genome for Thylacine de-extinction was successfully sequenced in 2017, by also studying the DNA of the closest living relative, the Tasmanian Devil. Scientists estimate the first de-extinct Thylacine may make a comeback by 2027.
- Pyrenean Mountain Ibex -- Went extinct in 2000 due to overhunting. A cloning program managed to create one ibex baby using preserved DNA, although it died minutes after being born.
- Half-Striped Quagga -- Hunted to extinction for sport in the 1880s. A sub-species of zebra that looks like a cross between a zebra and donkey. A breeding program, the Quagga Project, has created a look-a-like through selective breeding of zebras, dubbed the "Rau Quagga", though it is genetically different from the original Quagga.
- Auroch -- Wild cattle that officially went extinct in 1627 due to overhunting, once a keystone species in European ecosystems. Selective back-breeding of modern cattle descended from Aurochs combined with genome editing is being used to bring the species back, with future plans to release herds into the wild.
- Caspian Tiger -- A middle-eastern tiger, extinct some time between 1970 and 2003. Efforts through selective breeding of other tiger species are attempting to bring it back from extinction.
- Gastric-Brooding Frog -- A unique frog that gives birth through its mouth. Went extinct in the 1980s. Australian scientists successfully made a live embryo in 2013, but are still working on a way to make the embryo survive into the tadpole stage through the use of somatic-cell nuclear transfer methods .
- Carolina Parakeet -- Extinct in 1904 in Florida, though other close relative parrot species contain remnants of their genes which can be used in possible selective breeding programs.
- Steppe Bison -- Extinct around 8,000 years ago, the frozen tail of a Steppe Bison was discovered in 2016 in Siberia. Russian and South Korean scientists are collaborating to attempt to bring it back from extinction, following attempts to clone a Canadian Wood Bison using a surrogate female cow.
- Cuban Macaw -- Extinct in 1864 due to habitat loss and hunting. Selective breeding with closely related macaw species is being used to bring it back.
- Labrador Duck -- Went extinct between 1850 and 1870.
- Heath Hen -- Extinct in 1932 due to overhunting for food. Preserved specimens make it possible to revive this sub-species of prairie hen.
- Imperial Woodpecker -- Believed to be alive, but so rare no sightings have been made or confirmed in 50 years.
- Freshwater Dolphin -- Exclusive to the Yangtze River in China and thought to be extinct in the wild since 2002, though there have been some rare reports of sightings in 2017. Obviously Planet Zoo would need to allow for aquatic species/whales first before they could add this one.
- Great Auk -- The largest species of penguin ever to exist, officially extinct during the 1800s. Driven to extinction by over-hunting for their feathers and meat along the British isles.
- Woolly Mammoth -- Extinct between 10,000 and 4,000 years ago, depending on the region. Scientists have been working for decades on ways to bring mammoths back, either through cloning or artificial insemination using the closest living relative, the Asian elephant. Some scientists have hypothesized the re-creation and re-introduction of Woolly Mammoth to select northern regions of the world could be environmentally beneficial, but at the moment its nothing more than guess-work.
- Dodo Bird -- Extinct in the 1681 due to human hunting. In 2007, scientists found the best preserved Dodo skeleton ever, which may hold DNA capable of bringing them back.
- Siberian Cave Lion -- In 2015, two fully preserved cave lion cubs were discovered frozen in ice. A cloning specialist in South Korea has been working on researching them in search of viable DNA for cloning.
- Irish Elk -- Extinct 8,000 years ago. The largest known deer species to ever live. Preserved specimens were uncovered in Siberia.
- Woolly Rhino -- Only a few in-tact remains have been found, and its closest living relative to use as a surrogate for cloning or hybrid breeding is still unknown.
