And we're back! Time for Round Two! Only 5 animals on the main list made it into the game, which is a tad disappointing. However, 2 of my honourable mentions also made it in to the game, along with the African Penguin being just as good as the Humboldt. So in reality, 6 of my top 30 made it in (1/5th). Anyways, some of my wants have changed, but not by too much. Here goes nothing:
1. Asian Small-Clawed Otter - I shall repeat what I said about this animal previously. The Giant Otter is fine, but it doesn't really feel right to use all the time. The Asian Small-Clawed Otter is much smaller and more readily available in captivity, making it a far more suitable inclusion in my opinion. [Added through the Wetlands Animal Pack]
2. Amur Leopard - My mind has changed about the African Leopard. However, I'd still take any leopard. I vote for this subspecies specifically to boost the already high numbers and make it more noticeable. We just need a proper leopard. [Added through the Conservation Pack]
3. Lar Gibbon - Basically the same reason as the leopard, but replace with gibbons. However, I do prefer Lar Gibbons over Northern White-Cheeked Gibbons now.
4. Przewalski's Wild Horse - Gives us another horse, and an animal that should be compatible with the Bactrian Camel. [Added through the Conservation Pack]
5. Hamadryas Baboon - It's a big shame that the Africa Pack isn't an animal pack model. I absolutely adore this species. I would be fine if the Olive Baboon made it in though.
6. Addax - Very iconic desert antelope. Would work well with the North Africa theme in the Africa Pack.
7. Red River Hog - You can never have enough pigs. Especially pigs that actually look like pigs (Babirusa is close, but not quite all the way there yet). Also very red. Red is a nice colour.
8. Secretary Bird - The first truly new animal on this list, and it's a bird! It would make for a unique animal as pretty much the only bird-of-prey that could theoretically work as a habitat animal. No free flight needed.
9. Fossa - More Madagascar representation is always appreciated, and the apex predator of the island is probably the best choice.
10. Alpine Ibex - Just give us a proper goat Frontier, I'm begging you. In fact, just give us more goats, they're all so cool. [Added through the Europe Pack]
11. Iberian Lynx - Conservational history and the chance to represent the Mediterranean biome makes this small cat get a thumbs up from me (yes, I did just copy & paste the entry from the last list). [Suitable substitute added through the Europe Pack]
12. Wolverine - The largest land mustelid would help fill out a lot of roles in the game. From just being a land mustelid, being partially arboreal, more tolerant of cold weather, and being another small boi.
13. Moose - There's no way this animal is not coming to the game at some point, if not the next dlc after Africa (I highly suspect it's NA). [Added through the North America Animal Pack]
14. American Alligator - I feel like this entry speaks for itself. Finishes of the four major crocodilian families, Crocs, Gators, Gharials, and Caimans. [Added through the North America Animal Pack]
15. American Beaver - Come on, give us some rodents Frontier. [Added through the North America Animal Pack]
16. California Sea Lion - Once again, how wasn't this in the Aquatic Pack? I can't believe we'll be getting two penguins and a babirusa before a sea lion. [Added through the North America Animal Pack]
17. Capybara - Beaver but less work. I doubt it's going to budge from it's no.1 positioning anytime soon (unless it's added, but that's besides the point). [Added through the Wetlands Animal Pack]
18. Maned Wolf - A fairly unique canine. Legit the only pack that people wanted a canine, we didn't get a canine. What the hecktopus Frontier?
19. Emu - Wow, this list still lacks birds, what a surprise. And it's the same bird as last time? Laaaaaaaame. I jest, Emus are really important to me, they're just ranked this low because I'm going in order of continents.
20. Tasmanian Devil - Speak of the devil. These little buggers should've been in the Australia Pack over the Dingo (I don't hate the Dingo in the slightest though). We need some smaller carnivores, especially when they aren't carnivorans.
Update: Extra 5
21. Common Wombat
22. Bennett's Wallaby
23. Linnaeus's Two-Toed Sloth
24. South American Coati
25. Sichuan Takin
Aight, time to update this now that we can do so. Replacement species are in bold (the ones that need to be counted).
1. Addax - Even with the Scimitar-Horned Oryx, the desert biome and North Africa still need more representation. Also, I loved pairing the oryx and addax in the same enclosures in Zoo Tycoon 2 and wanna be able to do that again here.
2.
African Crested Porcupine - I'm basically just joining the bandwagon here. More rodents are always appreciated.
3. Bennett's Wallaby -
4. Common Wombat - Literally just need more Australian animals. I would not mind the Southern Hairy-Nosed, but I kinda want this one more now that I've actually voted for it and want to be able to replace it when we do get a wombat (I brought this upon myself ,:').
5. Emu - THE single most necessary animal for inclusion in my eyes. It feels so wrong that we've gotten this far without it.
6. Fossa - Now that we have three lemur species in the roster, I think it's about time their apex predator gets added. One of the most unique carnivores appearance-wise.
7.
Geoffroy's Spider Monkey - More new world monkeys. 'Nuff said.
8.
Golden Lion Tamarin - More new world monkeys, but this time they're tini.
9.
Goodfellow's Tree-Kangaroo - Probably one of the biggest animals to not make the first list. I prefer Goodfellow's as that's what Oceanian zoos tend to have (I'm gonna be so screwed if we get Matschie's tho).
10. Hamadryas Baboon - Probably the last old world monkey I really
need, but I would definitely kill to get some other ones after. More desert and North African animals should be of high priority tbh.
11.
Japanese Raccoon Dog - Lil pupper. One of the more unique canines not in the game yet, and adds to the ever-increasing number of East Asian animals.
12. Lar Gibbon - Not allowed to get rid of this guy even with the Siamang being added. Not that I was going to remove it anyway cus I honestly want two gibbons in the game.
13. Linnaeus's Two-Toed Sloth - Honestly, three-toed sloths are one of the few mammals to actively creep me out, something about their face feels off to me. I still want a sloth though so this is my pick, even if I'd be
okay with a three-toed.
14.
Little Blue Penguin - I want a penguin I can use for Australian-based zoos. Little guy is so distinct from the other two we have it shouldn't be a problem.
15. Maned Wolf - Second highest ranking animal on the list as of this post. South America still needs far more diversity and this is probably one of the most distinctive canines Frontier could add right now.
16.
Muskox - A caprid that represents the arctic FAR better than the Dall Sheep does.
17. Red River Hog - Quite surprised this wasn't added in the wetlands pack considering it's a very popular option and it literally has RIVER in it's name.
18.
Rock Hyrax - Probably the most out of left field of the new choices, I just really like these little guys. They're definitely a viable option size-wise as they're bigger than the meerkats.
19.
Saiga Antelope - I'm surprised this animal broke the top 40 animals. Despite not really being in captivity in recent years this animal is too unique appearance-wise and biome-wise to ignore. Give us all the funni schnozz animals.
20. Secretary Bird - More birds. Can never have enough birds.
21. South American Coati - South America needs more animals and coatis are just perfect imo.
22. Takin - Takins are starting to feel like the binturong for me (except nowhere near as cool as binturongs are my favourite animal of all time). I'm talking in the sense of the species is very well known to the general public but there's so many in zoos at this stage it just makes sense to include them for the diehard zoo fans. Also more goats are always appreciated (The first animal on my mind to replace the next added animal is also a goat that is very dear to me, just you wait).
23. Tasmanian Devil - It's exlusion from the Conservation Pack raises some eyebrows in my mind considering it's now the number one most voted animal on the wishlist. I predict it'll headline one of the next two dlcs this year.
24.
Walrus - The biggest pinniped currently in captivity. We need more tundra animals, and it honestly the Arctic just needs to be filled up better (the Arctic Pack really shouldn't have been the first dlc if that was how it was gonna be handled tbh).
25. Wolverine - We had THREE packs that could've included these lil rascals. What's going on here? Does Frontier just have something against wolverines? I just don't get it.
We're slowly starting to edge out of the territory of "animals that I want but also think should just be in the game for practical reasons" to "I just want this animal because it's cool". Hopefully the next two packs allow me to expand that category further (species currently on my mind but didn't make this list proper are Himalayan Tahr, Cotton-Top Tamarin and the Short-Beaked Echidna).
Edit: Gave explanations for each species again (didn't do it at the start cus it's very time consuming).
