Antarctic Pack

[Vanguard 1998]

Given Planet Zoo has an Arctic Pack, I think it would be nice if the developers made a pack for the Antarctic. The Antarctic has a wide array of unique species.

Some species I would recommend are:

• Southern Elephant Seal (Mirounga leonina)
• New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri, It is one of the world's rarest species of sea lion.)
• Magellan's Tree Iguana (Liolaemus magellanicus, It is notable for being the southernmost lizard species in the world.) Recommended as an Exhibit animal only.

(Source: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/39171-Liolaemus-magellanicus)

• Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus)
• Western rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome)
• South American gray fox (Lycalopex griseus)

(Source: https://foxprotectioninternational.org/foxes/south-american-gray-fox/)

• Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri)
• Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella)
• Auckland rail (Lewinia muelleri) Recommended as an exhibit animal only
• Subantarctic snipe (Coenocorypha aucklandica) Recommended as an exhibit animal only
• Snowy sheathbill (Chionis albus, It is the only land bird native to the Antarctic continent.)
• Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua)

(Source: https://oceanwide-expeditions.com/to-do/wildlife/gentoo-penguin)

• Marine otter (Lontra felina)
• Leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx)

New facility:
-Geothermal Station (would regulate water temperature, while also providing electricity)
-Antarctic themed staff buildings (Based on found on the Research stations in Antarctica, some images will be shown below.)

(Source: https://ukraine.ua/stories/vernadsky-antarctic-research-station/)

(Source: https://oceanwide-expeditions.com/blog/a-look-into-the-international-research-stations-of-antarctica)

(Source: https://www.bas.ac.uk/project/moving-halley/)

(Source: https://www.antarctica.gov.au/antarctic-operations/stations/mawson/)

-Subantarctic themed guest buildings (Based on the buildings in Ushuaia, Argentina, some images will be shown below.)

(Source: https://www.travelawaits.com/2905955/best-experiences-in-patagonia-argentina/)

(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ushuaia#/media/File:Ushuaia_a_la_tarde.jpg)

(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ushuaia#/media/File:Ushuaia_city_view.jpg)

New enrichment items:
-Ice Float (would serve as a toy enrichment, floats on water and act as a cooler, can’t be used in water where the temperature is regulated, originally suggested by @AllCreaturesGreatAndSmall)
-Seal Piñata (Food enrichment for Leopard Seals, Polar Bears, Grey Seals, and possibly Saltwater Crocodiles)

New Scenario: Rock in a Cold Place

Plot: Bernie is trusting you with one of the biggest projects of his career. He is sending you to his new zoo located in Ushuaia, Argentina intended to support conservation efforts in the Antarctic area where you must help establish and maintain breeding for multiple species, while also educating the public. This is Bernie's pet project, so let's not let him down.

Goals:

Bronze:
-Adopt 10 Emperor penguins
-Get overall Emperor penguin welfare rating to 80%
-Research Emperor penguin to Level 2
-Have at least four habitats
-Get overall animal welfare rating to 80%
- Get Education rating to two stars

Silver:
-Adopt 10 Western rockhopper penguins
-Get overall Western rockhopper penguin welfare rating to 80%
-Research Western rockhopper penguin to Level 3
-Get your Education rating to three stars
-Get your Conservation rating to three stars
-Breed at least three different habitat species

Gold:
-Adopt 5 New Zealand Sea Lions
-Get overall New Zealand Sea Lion welfare rating to 90%
-Research New Zealand Sea Lions to Level 4
-Research five Habitat species to level 5
-Power everything in the zoo with renewable energy
-Breed at six different habitat species
-Get Education rating to four stars
-Have at least 1300 guests in the zoo

 

[Richmountain112]

I have an idea for the animals in the Antarctic Pack:

Emperor Penguin
Ocellated Icefish
Giant Antarctic Sea Spider
Greenland Shark
Antarctic Toothfish
Leopard Seal
Orca

 

[Vanguard 1998]

I have an idea for the animals in the Antarctic Pack:

Emperor Penguin
Ocellated Icefish
Giant Antarctic Sea Spider
Greenland Shark
Antarctic Toothfish
Leopard Seal
Orca

According to what I read on Wikipedia, Greenland Sharks are not found in the Antarctic or Subantarctic region. However, one of it's relatives known as the Southern sleeper shark (Somniosus antarcticus) is found there. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_sleeper_shark) My only concern is that I don't think Planet Zoo currently has the mechanics or types of habitats that would be necessary to effectively contain Orcas (Orcinus orca), Antarctic Toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni), and Southern Sleeper Sharks (Somniosus antarcticus) while also allowing them to be visible to the public as that would require large tanks to hold them given their size, which is why many of the animals I listed are terrestrial or semiaquatic. However, one option that could be used to hold some small marine species, such as the Giant Antarctic Sea Spider (Decolopoda australis, Source: https://www.australiangeographic.co...22/01/heck-no-the-giant-antarctic-sea-spider/) and Ocellated Icefish (Chionodraco rastrospinosus), is to create a new type of exhibit that operates like a normal exhibit except that it would filled with water. Unlike the water found in habitats, the water in the exhibits could controlled in a manner similar to how control the temperature in exhibits currently, without needing a water heater to regulate the water temperature.

 

[Richmountain112]

According to what I read on Wikipedia, Greenland Sharks are not found in the Antarctic or Subantarctic region. However, one of it's relatives known as the Southern sleeper shark (Somniosus antarcticus) is found there. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_sleeper_shark) My only concern is that I don't think Planet Zoo currently has the mechanics or types of habitats that would be necessary to effectively contain Orcas (Orcinus orca), Antarctic Toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni), and Southern Sleeper Sharks (Somniosus antarcticus) while also allowing them to be visible to the public as that would require large tanks to hold them given their size, which is why many of the animals I listed are terrestrial or semiaquatic. However, one option that could be used to hold some small marine species, such as the Giant Antarctic Sea Spider (Decolopoda australis, Source: https://www.australiangeographic.co...22/01/heck-no-the-giant-antarctic-sea-spider/) and Ocellated Icefish (Chionodraco rastrospinosus), is to create a new type of exhibit that operates like a normal exhibit except that it would filled with water. Unlike the water found in habitats, the water in the exhibits could controlled in a manner similar to how control the temperature in exhibits currently, without needing a water heater to regulate the water temperature.

Giant Antarctic Sea Spider can grow over 2 feet in length.

The reason I listed Greenland shark instead of Southern Sleeper Shark is because not much is known about the latter but the former is somewhat well-known.

 

[Mjmannella]

I think there’s some very liberal usage of the word “Antarctic”

 

[AlexSea]

While scenery based off Antarctic research stations would be cool, the continent simply doesn't have enough diversity to warrant a dedicated pack. Two penguins, two seals, and god knows what for an exhibit animal would make for a very boring pack.

 

[Richmountain112]

While scenery based off Antarctic research stations would be cool, the continent simply doesn't have enough diversity to warrant a dedicated pack. Two penguins, two seals, and god knows what for an exhibit animal would make for a very boring pack.

Add to that Antarctic Toothfish, which they probably won't do because the devs are too lazy or too busy to implement fully aquatic animals and/or large tanks (which should have been added a while ago)

I could see an exhibit animal pack consisting of antarctic fish and invertebrates to go along with it.

 

[Vanguard 1998]

I think there’s some very liberal usage of the word “Antarctic”

I am going to explain this to help you grasp why I made it like this. When most people think of the Antarctic they assume that it applies only to Antarctica and the ocean in the immediate vicinity around it. The Antarctic Treaty System defines Antarctica as all of the land and ice shelves south of 60°S latitude.

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Antarctic-Overview-Map-EN.tif?page=1

While scenery based off Antarctic research stations would be cool, the continent simply doesn't have enough diversity to warrant a dedicated pack. Two penguins, two seals, and god knows what for an exhibit animal would make for a very boring pack.

However, given there is not much diversity of terrestrial or semiaquatic species in the Antarctic, I chose to include the Subantarctic, which defined the area located immediately north of the Antarctic region, between the latitude of 46° and 60° south of the Equator. The subantarctic region includes many islands in the southern parts of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans, and the southern part of Argentina and Chile. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circl...th_parallel_south_and_the_50th_parallel_south) I also don't think the developers are just going to make a pack just Subantarctic on its own, as it would sound kind of odd to do that without making a pack for the Antarctic itself. This is why the Marine otter (Lontra felina), South American gray fox (Lycalopex griseus), and Magellan's Tree Iguana (Liolaemus magellanicus) are listed in the species suggestions as they are found in the Subantarctic region, which helps to add some species diversity to this pack.

 

[Mjmannella]

That's a lot of words to say, "I stretched it so it wouldn't be 3 penguins and 4 pinnipeds"

 

[Vanguard 1998]

That's a lot of words to say, "I stretched it so it wouldn't be 3 penguins and 4 pinnipeds"

No, I expanded the range to account for another part of the polar region, which if you were to look it up Tierra del Fuego does have a subpolar climate according to Wikipedia. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tierra_del_Fuego#Climate) Also, are you implying that you don't think the other species from the Subantarctic region I suggested are worthy of being added to game?

 

[Mjmannella]

While none of them are truly bad, they feel very ham-fisted in this theme and very much demonstrate a stretch in the meaning of "Antarctica"

 

[Vanguard 1998]

While none of them are truly bad, they feel very ham-fisted in this theme and very much demonstrate a stretch in the meaning of "Antarctica"

While I can see your point, I will point out that we can't just pick animals from the Antarctica in this case as the Antarctic is technically a region. Some of species mentioned here are not found on Antarctica but are still unique and found in the Antarctic region. For example, Auckland rail and Subantarctic snipe are found in the Auckland Islands, which is found in the Subantarctic. They're not found in Antarctica, but there found in the Antarctic.
One of the reasons I called this Antarctic pack is because there is very large variety found in this region; this pack it is not intended to focus solely on Antarctica, but on both Antarctica and the islands found around it such as the Auckland Islands, Tierra del Fuego, Falkland Islands (If it was still around, I would've recommended the Falkland Island Wolf, but unfortunately it is extinct.), and Kerguelen Islands. For the record, if the name of the pack is an issue and species ranges is an issue, I would not be against having a Polar Pack that deals with species found in both the northern and southern hemispheres.

 

[Mjmannella]

Allow me to provide an alternative:
Antarctic Animal Pack:

• Macaroni Penguin
• Gentoo Penguin
• Antarctic Shag
• South Georgia Shag
• Yellow-Billed Pintail
• Southern Elephant Seal
• Leopard Seal
• Mackerel Icefish (Promotional Exhibit)

Far from the most diverse idea, but it is one that undoubtedly presents a more honest look at Antarctic wildlife.

 

[Vanguard 1998]

Allow me to provide an alternative:
Antarctic Animal Pack:

• Macaroni Penguin
• Gentoo Penguin
• Antarctic Shag
• South Georgia Shag
• Yellow-Billed Pintail
• Southern Elephant Seal
• Leopard Seal
• Mackerel Icefish (Promotional Exhibit)

Far from the most diverse idea, but it is one that undoubtedly presents a more honest look at Antarctic wildlife.

It could work. We could still use the some of the ideas I presented from my initial designs for the Antarctic Pack. Building wise, I still think we could use the buildings from the research facilities from the Antarctic mainland for the staff buildings. I would recommend having the scenario and the guest buildings based in the same location for consistence purposes. For location, I would recommend basing guest buildings on the infrastructure found in Puerto Williams, Chile, Ushuaia, Argentina, or Invercargill, New Zealand.
I personally recommend including geothermal thermal stations as way to both generate power maintain water temperatures in enclosures in order to provide more options for generating power and regulating the water temperature, while also helping save space. I'll post an image below that will show the installed geothermal facilities by country as of 2023. In order to effectively house the Mackerel Icefish, a new type of exhibit might be needed. I think the Snowy Sheathbill and Emperor Penguin could work species as well.

I agree this design would likely more accurately match what species are often associated with the Antarctic. However, I disagree about this suggestion being a complete alternative to a polar species pack as most of your suggestions for the most part are heavily concentrated on Antarctica and the area around it. A polar pack could be used to add some of species found Subantarctic, such as the South American Grey Fox, Marine Otter, and Western Rockhopper Penguin. Additionally, a polar pack could be used to help add some species from Arctic that have not been added yet, such as Muskox, Walrus, Sable or European pine marten, Atlantic puffin, Wood frog (received scientific attention for its freeze tolerance), and or Snowy Owl.