You've got a nice profile picture... how would you like to start with... Papua new guinea!
Oh, this is going to be fun!
Papua New Guinea Animal Pack
To highlight the diverse fauna of Papua New Guinea, this pack includes three habitat animals as well as one exhibit animal, all of which meant to complement the in-game presence of the Southern Cassowary as the so far sole representant of this country.
1. Matschie's Tree Kangaroo
This marsupial is among the most well-known of its kind in the rainforests of Papua New Guinea and would complement an animal niche so far only represented by two other animals (the koala and the kangaroo). Not only would they be amazing additions to any tropical-themed rainforest exhibit, but they also represent an important conservation hurdle, as their numbers have been consistently declining over the last decades, to the extent that they are now classified as endangered.
(The
Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo would make for an equally fascinating choice; both are basically interchangeable on this spot, as long as
we would finally get a tree kangaroo. Yes, I love these guys.)
2. Western Long-Beaked Echidna
While its close relative, the Short-Beaked Echidna, occurs over most of the Australian continent, the (Western) Long-Beaked Echidna calls the mountainous highlands of the Northwestern parts of New Guinea its home, preferring an alpine climate. As with the tree kangaroo, it would also be another highly requested small mammal addition to the game.
3. Crocodile Monitor (also called Salvadori's Monitor)
One might still argue that we need more reptiles in the game, and the Crocodile Monitor would be another fascinating addition on that account. At a length of two meters or longer, they are among the longest lizards known in the world and are characteristically known for preferring the mangroves and swamps in the southeastern part of the island. Additionally, they are a highly arboreal animal, which would provide both the Planet Zoo creators and the players with the challenge of creating fitting climbing animations and distinct habitats for this unusual reptile.
4. Northern White-Lipped Python (exhibit animal)
Since the selection of snakes in the original animal roster still leaves a lot of room for improvement, an obvious choice for the exhibit animal would be a python. While not the largest of its kind, this choice would still complement the snake roster as a species that is known for their aggressivity. Given the right lighting, their skin displays a rainbow-coloured scheme, which would be interesting to see in the game.
Among my favorite choices would have been the dugong or a bird-of-paradise, both of which national animals of Papua New Guinea, but unfortunately, they would not work with the currently available game mechanics. If we were to get fully aquatic animals one day, however, I would love to see a manatee in game.
