I hope they read this, you did they right thing suggesting what you want. Second step is, keep buying DLCs so they see the profits. If they see the sales drop they might stop, then we are screwed. as you guys know, we wouldn't be getting anymore Zoo game like this in ten to twenty years.
Analysis of most likely/needed animals
- Thread starter jcp011c
- Start date
1. Animals with an important conservation message - Prezwalski's Horse, Scimitar Horned Oryx, Pere David's Deer, Blackfooted Ferret, Vancouver Island Marmot, European Rabbit, Saiga...
2. Unique rigs: Tree kangaroo, Tasmanian Devil, Porcupine, Fossa etc.
3. BIRDZ
4. Common animals which we are currently missing: Red river hog, Gibbon, more monkey species, dromedary, goats
5. Racoon
2. Unique rigs: Tree kangaroo, Tasmanian Devil, Porcupine, Fossa etc.
3. BIRDZ
4. Common animals which we are currently missing: Red river hog, Gibbon, more monkey species, dromedary, goats
5. Racoon
1: Birds in general, from all continents. Water birds (swans, ducks etc) and mostly or totally ground-dwelling birds (e.g., secretary bird, lyre bird, etc.) if flying can’t be done well.
2: Oceanian animals in general. Especially a cold / cooler climate macropod, an emu, a wombat, NZ representation (kiwi, tuatara) and a tree kangaroo.
3: Monkeys (both old- and new-world). Especially Amazonian species.
2: Oceanian animals in general. Especially a cold / cooler climate macropod, an emu, a wombat, NZ representation (kiwi, tuatara) and a tree kangaroo.
3: Monkeys (both old- and new-world). Especially Amazonian species.
See, I understand this, but if I'm totally honest, the only Oceanian animals I've seen are the following:
- Koala
- Cassowary
- Wombat
- Wallaby
Well in Australia they’re very common! (1/6 of inhabited continents after all). I’m surprised you’ve not seen emus, they’re all over the place and I’ve personally seen grey kangaroos, tree kangaroos, at least two species of wallabies (I think more but it’s been a while) various gliders and small mammals and many, many birds in zoos in the UK and in the USA (I haven’t been to zoos in any other countries, other than New Zealand).
what’s H-town zoo btw?
edit: coatifan has reminded ne that I’ve also seen echidnas in zoos outside ‘oceania’
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They're rare in the US, sure, but American facilities do also keep echidnas, devils, bettongs, potoroos, emus, and tree kangaroos -- plus, the game should have the tools to make a half-decent Australian zoo, too (or a fantasy American zoo with an extensive Australia collection)
Makes sense (H-Town is Houston, by the way)
No, I understand, I'm totally up for a second Australia pack, if it comes to that. I was genuinely curious as to how common outside Australia/Tasmania/New Zealand are their endemic species
Totally fair… to respond, I’d point out that North American species aren’t very common here either… off the top of my head, the only ones in major zoos where I live are buffalo and coati(s)? ( what’s the plural) - used to be grizzlies too and one has Texas longhorns but that all I can think of…. How common are (endemic) NA species in zoos in other regions?
Besides NA? Not sure, honestly; I've only been to 3 zoos out of the US, but it's been so long I don't remember:
- León Zoo - Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico - 6 years ago
- Irapuato Zoo - Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico - 5 years ago
- Córdoba Zoo - Córdoba, Argentina - 9 years ago
Ah, yeah! Don't mean to come off as confrontational if that's what it seemed like! To give some examples of Australia collections in the US:
- Columbus Zoo - Australia and the Islands:
- Koala
- Tasmanian Devil
- Red and Grey Kangaroos
- Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombat
- Matschie's Tree-Kangaroo
- Brookfield Zoo - Australia House:
- Bennett's Wallaby
- Emu
- Short-Beaked Echidna
- Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombat
- Western Gray Kangaroo
- San Diego Zoo - Koalafornia:
- Koala
- Parma Wallaby
- Tasmanian Devil
- Wombat sp.
- Echidna sp.
- Living Desert Zoo - Australian Adventures:
- Bennett's Wallaby
- Short-Beaked Echidna
- Yellow-Footed Rock Wallaby (Only US holder)
- Brush-Tailed Bettong
- Emu
- San Diego Safari Park - Walkabout Australia:
- Cassowary sp.
- Short-Beaked Echidna
- Western Gray Kangaroo
- Platypus (Only US holder)
- Matschie's Tree-Kangaroo
- Bennett's Wallaby
- EVERY Wombat Species (Common, Northern Hairy-Nosed, Southern Hairy-Nosed)
Plus, lots of zoos without such robust collections may still have stray emus and other birds (Audubon Zoo), Bennett's Wallabies (National Zoo), and Southern Cassowaries (National Zoo again), plus a few small marsupials (see: the National Zoo's Brush-Tailed Bettong). So yeah, Australian animals are rare abroad (and most are scattered across zoos rather than centralized in collections like those above), but there's still at least five "types" of major Australian animal that could benefit American-style zoos (Devil, Tree-Kangaroo, Wallaby, Echidna, Wombat), even discounting small species like the bettong and species similar to existing ones like the emu and grey kangaroo.
Honestly, even a standard DLC with a representative of these 5 will be perfect for me.
Anything else is just the delicious dollop of extra cake frosting you get; you can live without it, but you want it and will take it when given the chance
Yeah, an ideal Oceania animal pack for me would probably be these plus an emu and maybe one or two New Zealand reps (probably a Kiwi and Little Blue Penguin)
And just to answer this from an European point of view.
Emus and Bennett's wallabies are among the top 15 most held animals in captivity in Europe according to Zootierliste.de
Species like the grey kangaroo, parma wallaby and swamp wallaby (wish this one had been in the wetlands pack) are also not uncommon to see here.
And for many of the rarer species like wombats, Tasmanian devils, Yellow-footed rock wallaby, and even short-beaked echidnas the numbers seem to slowly go up.
Australian areas have gotten new attention over the last 5-10 years in the bigger zoos, a trend that seems to continue. Copenhagen Zoo recently started working on a new Australian Area next to their Tasmanian Area
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Man, that's cool! My unrealistic dream for my local zoo (Smithsonian National Zoo) would totally include something Australia themed -- although interestingly enough, the zoo DID have an "Australia Pavilion" before I was born (though tragically, there are few if any resources and photos about it).
In terms to trying to make life-like zoos, I've previously assessed the importance held with domesticated animals and non-aviary birds. Though outside of those purviews, some standouts are the Bennett's wallaby, ring-tailed coati, and African spurred tortoise.
Emus are very common and I have Seen them in nearly all Zoos I have vistited. Wilhelma in Stuttgart gets soon tree kangaroos and they show at the Moment red kangaroos. A few years ago they had grey kangaroos. Frankfurt Zoo shows echidna and they have Kiwis. The Kiwis are normally not shown except they have chicks.
This gives me hope we will also see the red deer in the future
because they already have a statue.
On the subject of Oceanian species within the US, they are certainly uncommon. I’d wager that aside from aviary birds, I’ve been to more zoos without a single species from the region than those with them. Altogether, I’ve only seen the red kangaroo, grey kangaroo, Bennet’s wallaby, Matschie’s tree kangaroo, emu, cassowary, and one of the very few zoos that keep koalas in the country. Compared to the number of species I’ve seen from the Americas, Africa, and Asia, that’s nothing.
But even then, we have even fewer than that in game currently. Every Australian section anyone’s ever made has had the same 3-5 species, because that’s all we’ve had to work with. The thought of trying to actually make a realistic zoo set within the region feels like a fool’s errand. At the very very least we need emus and wallabies.
But even then, we have even fewer than that in game currently. Every Australian section anyone’s ever made has had the same 3-5 species, because that’s all we’ve had to work with. The thought of trying to actually make a realistic zoo set within the region feels like a fool’s errand. At the very very least we need emus and wallabies.
Hmm, animals that are present in many zoos but still not well represented overall?
Equids. We have just the one zebra species.
Procyonids. No coati, raccoons, or ringtails.
New world monkeys, baboons, and gibbons are species seen in many zoos that are (except for the Capuchin) absent.
Birds. Even without an aviary pack for flying birds, there are a number of wading birds, ground birds, and waterfowl that are commonly kept in open or covered habitats (including walk through ones) in real zoos. Lots of zoos have those. We have relatively few bird species overall compared to mammals, or even reptiles. Kiwi are rare in zoos overall (and pretty shy), though a few have them. And it would be nice to have something from New Zealand.
Tayasuidae (peccaries) aren't true pigs (we have two suids so far in game). They'd be great in a desert pack as a new world representative.
Armadillos and sloths are present in many zoos.
No porcupines.
More marsupials! Wombat, tree kangaroo, bandicoot, cuscus, possums! These species aren't found in all, or even most, zoos, but for folks who do want to make a more regional Oceania type zoo, they make sense.
Except for the two otter species, we have no mustelids. No skunks or civets either.
Giant snakes like pythons, green anacondas etc. Maybe a similar issue to flying birds, though. The current game mechanics, with 4x4 exhibits or open habitats with no in between, make it hard to put them in the type of enclosure one usually finds them in.
Equids. We have just the one zebra species.
Procyonids. No coati, raccoons, or ringtails.
New world monkeys, baboons, and gibbons are species seen in many zoos that are (except for the Capuchin) absent.
Birds. Even without an aviary pack for flying birds, there are a number of wading birds, ground birds, and waterfowl that are commonly kept in open or covered habitats (including walk through ones) in real zoos. Lots of zoos have those. We have relatively few bird species overall compared to mammals, or even reptiles. Kiwi are rare in zoos overall (and pretty shy), though a few have them. And it would be nice to have something from New Zealand.
Tayasuidae (peccaries) aren't true pigs (we have two suids so far in game). They'd be great in a desert pack as a new world representative.
Armadillos and sloths are present in many zoos.
No porcupines.
More marsupials! Wombat, tree kangaroo, bandicoot, cuscus, possums! These species aren't found in all, or even most, zoos, but for folks who do want to make a more regional Oceania type zoo, they make sense.
Except for the two otter species, we have no mustelids. No skunks or civets either.
Giant snakes like pythons, green anacondas etc. Maybe a similar issue to flying birds, though. The current game mechanics, with 4x4 exhibits or open habitats with no in between, make it hard to put them in the type of enclosure one usually finds them in.