It's pretty much just to fill a spot in US fauna collections. Which to be honest to myself is a pretty flimsy reason to want it. We do already have 2 North American canines, one niche biome and one more widespread, so it's not like there isn't something there already. But want it I do, nonetheless.
Unpopular Animal You Really Want
- Thread starter DarthQuell
- Start date
3 actually, double wolfes and the fox, but yes ofcourse its completly allright to just want an animal cause you like them
Coyotes are kept in plenty of small to medium sized US zoos, far more than gray wolves from what I’ve seen. Every zoo I’ve been to with wolves has had coyotes, but I’ve also been to zoos with coyotes but no wolves. Objectively, they’d add nothing to the game besides a near-copy/paste of the timber wolf with the desert biome added. Subjectively, they’re essential for a local style zoo.
Same situation for the white-tailed deer, they’re the only deer I’ve seen in AZA zoos. I’ve seen fallow deer and reindeer at non-AZA, but with AZA it seems to be white-tailed or nothing, at least regionally. I agree that they’re the least visually striking deer, they have no conservation story to tell, by any objective measure they’re a bad option. But subjectively, they’re absolutely essential for my local-style native fauna zoos to be realistic.
Exact same situation for the bobcat. Similar for the North American river otter, except it is absolutely ubiquitous within both zoos and aquariums anywhere in the region that isn’t Atlanta (which boasts giant otters in its zoo, and both ASCO and sea otters in its aquarium, quite the treat for otter fans).
I understand that North American fauna has a very limited representation within international zoos. I also understand that when it is represented, it’s not necessarily what you’d see in zoos actually in North America (hello raccoons, who live on my street and in every other nation’s zoos, apparently). I think that, by and large, the NA animal pack did a great job with rounding out the sort of species I’d see in a local-focused zoo. The additions of the cougar, alligator, and prairie dog in particular can’t be understated, let alone how much of an all star the sea lion on its own without even needing to be tethered to a local wildlife section. I don’t expect to see non-Central North America revisited in any meaningful way, beyond maybe one or two incidental inclusions. But if we did somehow get the coyote, or bobcat, or white-tailed deer, or my favorite NARO… well, I’d be over the moon and my local style zoos would be perfect.
Edit: formatting
Same situation for the white-tailed deer, they’re the only deer I’ve seen in AZA zoos. I’ve seen fallow deer and reindeer at non-AZA, but with AZA it seems to be white-tailed or nothing, at least regionally. I agree that they’re the least visually striking deer, they have no conservation story to tell, by any objective measure they’re a bad option. But subjectively, they’re absolutely essential for my local-style native fauna zoos to be realistic.
Exact same situation for the bobcat. Similar for the North American river otter, except it is absolutely ubiquitous within both zoos and aquariums anywhere in the region that isn’t Atlanta (which boasts giant otters in its zoo, and both ASCO and sea otters in its aquarium, quite the treat for otter fans).
I understand that North American fauna has a very limited representation within international zoos. I also understand that when it is represented, it’s not necessarily what you’d see in zoos actually in North America (hello raccoons, who live on my street and in every other nation’s zoos, apparently). I think that, by and large, the NA animal pack did a great job with rounding out the sort of species I’d see in a local-focused zoo. The additions of the cougar, alligator, and prairie dog in particular can’t be understated, let alone how much of an all star the sea lion on its own without even needing to be tethered to a local wildlife section. I don’t expect to see non-Central North America revisited in any meaningful way, beyond maybe one or two incidental inclusions. But if we did somehow get the coyote, or bobcat, or white-tailed deer, or my favorite NARO… well, I’d be over the moon and my local style zoos would be perfect.
Edit: formatting
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All these, besides the coyote, are exactly what I need, honestly (I still want the coyote, just it's not as essential for me).
The only other 2 animals I really want from NA (besides the highly unlikely gray fox) are the raccoon and domestic turkey. Maybe, just maybe, a North American porcupine
Put another way, if you asked me to name my top 50, probably even top 100 personal favorite animals, you certainly wouldn’t see the bobcat or white-tailed deer or maybe even the coyote. But if you picked a random zoo within the US, particularly one that showcases any local wildlife, and told me to name an animal they’re likely to hold that isn’t in Planet Zoo, then those are some of the safest bets you could make.
Or, another way, if you care about getting the wisent, or Eurasian brown bear, or honestly even the red deer at this point… Your sentiment is probably perfectly mirrored from across the pond, and I mean that in the most respectful way possible. They’d add nothing in the case of the former two, or very little in the case of the deer, from a very personal perspective. There’s probably no scenario where I’d opt to use them instead of their existing counterparts, and their presence within NA zoos seems to be very limited. I understand why they’re important to the people who want them, though, and couldn’t possibly begrudge someone for wanting them. And maybe that doesn’t even apply to you or anyone who doesn’t get the appeal of the coyote, but it definitely seems like a pretty straightforward comparison on the whole. And just to reiterate, I’m not trying to knock anyone who wants to see more European wildlife whatsoever, I 100% respect wanting what you want for whichever reasons strike you. Just trying to flip the script a bit to try and bridge the gap here.
Or, another way, if you care about getting the wisent, or Eurasian brown bear, or honestly even the red deer at this point… Your sentiment is probably perfectly mirrored from across the pond, and I mean that in the most respectful way possible. They’d add nothing in the case of the former two, or very little in the case of the deer, from a very personal perspective. There’s probably no scenario where I’d opt to use them instead of their existing counterparts, and their presence within NA zoos seems to be very limited. I understand why they’re important to the people who want them, though, and couldn’t possibly begrudge someone for wanting them. And maybe that doesn’t even apply to you or anyone who doesn’t get the appeal of the coyote, but it definitely seems like a pretty straightforward comparison on the whole. And just to reiterate, I’m not trying to knock anyone who wants to see more European wildlife whatsoever, I 100% respect wanting what you want for whichever reasons strike you. Just trying to flip the script a bit to try and bridge the gap here.
Thank you, ofcourse if they are common in your local zoos then mire power to them.
The reason i was not the biggest fan was, that as an european who has never been to the us and only having zootierliste to compare to, these were nothing animals to me and i only heard on this forum that many native animals arnt common in NA zoos, last case even was with darthqueel and the coyote here, but i can totally get wanting your local zoo species and hope tje best for you guys
Maybe a clone pack focused on na and europe with the european brownbear, wisent, bobcat, american flamingo, white tailed deer, a pelican if we finally habe one in the game by then and red fox?
Some of them might arguably not be perfect clones, but inbetween two other packs this could be pretty great
Many zoos have smaller native sections, but others don't. Purely from my experience in the only two zoos I've visited:Thank you, ofcourse if they are common in your local zoos then mire power to them.
The reason i was not the biggest fan was, that as an european who has never been to the us and only having zootierliste to compare to, these were nothing animals to me and i only heard on this forum that many native animals arnt common in NA zoos, last case even was with darthqueel and the coyote here, but i can totally get wanting your local zoo species and hope tje best for you guys
Maybe a clone pack focused on na and europe with the european brownbear, wisent, bobcat, american flamingo, white tailed deer, a pelican if we finally habe one in the game by then and red fox?
Some of them might arguably not be perfect clones, but inbetween two other packs this could be pretty great
Smithsonian's American Trail:
- Harbor Seal
- California Sea Lion
- Grey Seal
- Brown Pelican
- North American River Otter
- Bald Eagle
- Raven
- Wood Duck
- North American Beaver
- American Alligator
- American Black Bear
- Common Raccoon
- Cougar
- American River Otter
- Alligator Snapping Turtle
- Red Fox
- Bobcat
- Brown Pelican
- Several Fish + Herp Varieties
WITH THAT SAID, I see why these species have little to no appeal to European builders. After all, the Europe Pack is still my least favorite pack animal-wise, without a single species I've seen or even heard of in US collections. Ultimately, this is a problem with an international userbase -- some picks will always be polarizing.
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Markhor (aka Screw Horn Goat)
Long Sage like Majestic beard
Sri Lankan Leopard (a very large endangered leopard, would love to see something from this island represented)
Chinese Water Deer (aka vampire deer) a fanged de
Kinkajou
Sunda Coluga (aka Malayan Flying Lemur), they can fly. Imagine one flying from tree to tree in Planet Zoo
Coatimundi, what is this, a mix between a raccoon and an ant eater?
Saiga Antelope, look how cool and unique it looks
Elk (I absolutely love the sound they make, so eerie yet cool, and majestic as well).
Coconut Crab, I saw this on the forum, and yes that would be so unique from anything we have as a land animal, the
Bats, like a bat cave. And no.. not Batman
Long Sage like Majestic beard
Sri Lankan Leopard (a very large endangered leopard, would love to see something from this island represented)
Chinese Water Deer (aka vampire deer) a fanged de
Kinkajou
Sunda Coluga (aka Malayan Flying Lemur), they can fly. Imagine one flying from tree to tree in Planet Zoo
Coatimundi, what is this, a mix between a raccoon and an ant eater?
Saiga Antelope, look how cool and unique it looks
Elk (I absolutely love the sound they make, so eerie yet cool, and majestic as well).
Coconut Crab, I saw this on the forum, and yes that would be so unique from anything we have as a land animal, the
Bats, like a bat cave. And no.. not Batman
Attachments
If it helps, American Trail also has grey seals, which are in PZ.
And a few of those species have significant European zoo presence, particularly raccoons which are apparently very common in European zoos (and are themselves an invasive species in Europe), as well as the red fox which is obviously also native to Europe and Asia.
How did I forget? I was just there a few weeks ago and saw one of them getting a checkup!
Yeah, I know. That’s why I’m hopeful for the raccoon especially.
INDIA DLC
Lion tailed macaque
Sloth bear
Blackbuck
Nilgai
BRAZIL DLC
Giant Armadillo
Paca
SouthAmerican Coati
Black Howler monkey
CHINA DLC
North Chinese leopard
Golden takin
Snub nosed monkey
Père David’s deer
AFRICA animal pack
Giant eland
African civet
Somali wild donkey
Scimitar oryx
Black backed jackal
Serval
Shoebill
SOUTH EAST ASIA animal pack
Owston’s civet
Anoa
Sumatran tiger
Malayan giant squirrel
Red muntjac
Douc langur
Sumatran rhinoceros
MIDDLE EAST animal pack
Striped hyena
Caracal
Dromedary
Addax
Dama gazelle
Honey badger
Baboon
Lion tailed macaque
Sloth bear
Blackbuck
Nilgai
BRAZIL DLC
Giant Armadillo
Paca
SouthAmerican Coati
Black Howler monkey
CHINA DLC
North Chinese leopard
Golden takin
Snub nosed monkey
Père David’s deer
AFRICA animal pack
Giant eland
African civet
Somali wild donkey
Scimitar oryx
Black backed jackal
Serval
Shoebill
SOUTH EAST ASIA animal pack
Owston’s civet
Anoa
Sumatran tiger
Malayan giant squirrel
Red muntjac
Douc langur
Sumatran rhinoceros
MIDDLE EAST animal pack
Striped hyena
Caracal
Dromedary
Addax
Dama gazelle
Honey badger
Baboon
Attachments
Just to add another one: the Houston Zoo, back in 2019, built the Texas Wetlands section, with alligators, whooping cranes, and bald eagles, plus a new duck pond that has garfish.
It's gonna be part of the remodeled children's zoo which'll focus on Texas species
Oh, mine too. Only reason it isn't is because the gray fox is still alive
Interesting! I love a well-designed local species area, as presentation is a huge part of what makes them work. Audubon's Louisiana Swamp, for example, has a fair couple of common in the wild species like foxes and raccoons, but (like most exhibits at the zoo) goes over the top with a ridiculous bayou theme that really works -- the raccoons have a shelter in an outhouse (and I believe also have a bathtub?), the bobcats prowl through a chicken coop, and the roofed exhibit boardwalk area features a "Loup-Garou" display, complete with statue-- oops, at this point I'm just rambling about how much I love this zoo!
I think you would love some classic german wildparks. My local one for example just has a giant meadow in the middle of the forrest where their herd of fallow deer live, a giant ass walkthrough where you can even pat and feed them if they feel like it. The rest of the park is like a beautiful trail through the woods with very big enclosures for wildboar, red deer and mouflons, aswell as free roaming pheasents, your normal forest critters and a carnivour house with foxes, furrets, wild cats and racoons all along a little stream around the circular shaped house and habitats. There are also some ponds with amphibeans and lots of insect hotels, aswell as a lot of educational boards about the local fauna. Back in the day they even had lynx, but now the lynx habitat is a breeding enclosure for the fallow deer. Its big, beautiful and like the best walk through the hilly forrest you can have. Also its free!Interesting! I love a well-designed local species area, as presentation is a huge part of what makes them work. Audubon's Louisiana Swamp, for example, has a fair couple of common in the wild species like foxes and raccoons, but (like most exhibits at the zoo) goes over the top with a ridiculous bayou theme that really works -- the raccoons have a shelter in an outhouse (and I believe also have a bathtub?), the bobcats prowl through a chicken coop, and the roofed exhibit boardwalk area features a "Loup-Garou" display, complete with statue-- oops, at this point I'm just rambling about how much I love this zoo!
Just a very small lowkey park, no wolfs, wisents, bears, moose or wolverine and all the other animals you can typically find in them, but just very relaxing and beautiful
Sounds beautiful! I'd love to visit if I were ever in the area.
I would like a good thylacine statue or replica model, especially if we get the Tasmanian devil
Yup,.. kinda sums it up for me too TBH.
I’m also a huge thylacine obsessive and have toyed with the thought of it and it alone being added to the game before and I still don’t think I’d go for it, personally. It does feel a bit different than most other extinct species, though, at least in part due to actual footage existing of them in zoos. Couple that with how unique they are in general and it’s not hard for me to start trying to justify an exception to my otherwise hardline “no extincts” stance. But I still don’t think that’s a door I’d like to even crack open.
I’d absolutely adore a good statue, though. More statues of recent extinctions altogether would be a great addition to pair with our current dodo.
I’d absolutely adore a good statue, though. More statues of recent extinctions altogether would be a great addition to pair with our current dodo.
Most of these are highly requested animals