I think a Conservation pack/small expansion is critically missing. Both Zoo Tycoon and Zoo Tycoon 2 had endangered species packs, and personally I think such a pack could be used to expand gameplay in Planet Zoo Enough to make something more substantial that the smaller packs we have been getting, more like the dr wu/sanctuary/Jurassic park dlc for jurassic world, though still no more than giving an additional 2 regular enclosure animals, really in leu of a new theme. I am sure such a pack is at least being considered by the developers due to the focus on conservation the game has. I would include 3-4 new campaign missions to both introduce new features and teach players about the new endangered species. So without further ado this is my idea for such a pack.
First major gameplay changes
In-situ research- this option would allow vets to travel abroad to do research on endangered animals in the wild though more expensive, it would speed up the process significantly and allow for some exclusive research items for animals.
Artificial Insemination- A common approach in zoo breeding these days, this would allow vets to artificially inseminate female animals with sperm from unrelated off site animals in a new menu, this would be a cheaper option to improving genetics and ratings than buying new animals, but depending on the vets training and cost of the sperm would not always succeed. This would also allow vets to collect sperm from your animals that you could sell or use later.
Scenery and Foliage
While I would not have a new theme, I would add some new statues for the new animals, and maybe some new conservation signs. For foliage the primary focus would be rare plants like wood’s cycad, wollemi pine, golden barrel cactus, venus flytrap, dawn redwood, silver palm, and sweet pitcher plant.
For animals I have 6 standard animals (a cat, an ungulate, a primate, another mammal, a curassow, and a vulture) and 1 exhibit animal. There are so many options I have included my top 2 or 3 picks for each with some rational as to why each was included
Amur Leopard
I think the Critically Endangered Amur Leopard is really the only choice for an additional endangered species of cat, yes, you could argue for the spanish lynx or florida panther, but both of those are incredibly rare in zoo collections; Amur Leopards on the other hand seem more common to see at a zoo than the African subspecies, at least for me. Leopards (specifically Panthera pardus, not snow leopards) are missing from the game, and this adds them into the game. It also adds an animal that can help allow for the creation of a Primorsky Krai area with the Amur Tiger. The hard work of Ex situ conservation on this species, really makes it the most logical choice for a conservation themed expansion to a zoo building game. Plus the young ones are really fluffy. The conservation story that can be explored is on anti-poaching and the destruction of the northern forests it and the amur tiger are native to.
Hoofstock: Scimitar-horned Oryx, Przewalski’s Horse, or Saiga Antelope
So picking an endangered hoofed mammal is important
I am going to go with the Scimitar-horned Oryx, as the #1 choice. It is extinct in the wild, but captive breeding programs have made it rather common in zoos, and the species is even beginning to be released back into the wild, making a compelling story to tell in a campaign mission. They are also among the most beautiful of African antelope, and one of the handful essential african game missing.
Przewalski’s Horse, a critically endangered wild horse, has been a staple of zoo tycoon endangered species packs. It is a pretty strong choice, people love horses, and it isn’t a zebra. I could see a campaign mission set in Russia specifically about breeding these and the amur leopard.
The Saiga, though one of the coolest animals on the planet and critically endangered, is maybe a less great choice due to its rarity in zoos, only a handful currently in Russia, which if we are going to species this rare in captivity why not add a saola to this list. It has been the fastest declining large mammal in the world, mainly due to demand for traditional medicine, but also disease breakouts that recently wiped out half of the population.
Primate: Coquerel's Sifaka or Siamang
There are a lot of rare primates in the world with stories to talk about but I think one of these two would be the best.
So the critically endangered Coquerel's Sifaka is my #1 pick. Yes, we do already have 2 lemur species, but discussing deforestation in Madagascar is something I think really needs to be driven home, and Planet Zoo has the potential to do that. The Coquerel's Sifaka is the right choice specifically because 1-it is a beautiful primate 2-it is cute, and specifically it crosses the ground with these really cute leaps that I have long wanted to see in a video game and 3- the nostalgia factor of Zoboomafoo, which had a Coquerel's Sifaka as the main characters, and because of nostalgia this will make people more likely to purchase this expansion.
We are missing a lot of Indonesian/south asian animal diversity, and so the endangered siamang could fill that gap. We do not have a gibbon, which are some of the coolest primates, and the siamang is one of the most famous, with its loud calls. It is a great ambassador like the orangutan for palm oil plantations and the deforestation involved. Its main issue is its arboreal nature, and unfortunately the koala shows that the game currently has trouble with more arboreal animals. Gibbon did move across the ground in zoos so I could see it. If this species was chosen, I would really want a new rope bridge building thing that would allow the gibbons to cross over guest paths or between islands, as that is the fun real zoos have in building habitats for gibbons.
Random Mammal: Tasmanian Devil or Black-footed Ferret
A cat, a ungulate, and a primate cannot do justice to all endangered mammals, so I think if this is a slightly larger pack, in addition to some endangered birds it would be nice to have a rare smaller mammal.
The endangered Tasmanian Devil is my #1 pick, as with the release of the Australia pack it is really the only Australian animal (save maybe the wombat, Emu, rock wallaby, and black swan) I really think is missing. They are the largest of extant marsupial carnivores, and have a whole story of different factors making them rare, from extinction on the mainland, to being hunted during the colonization of Tasmania, to roads, to now the contagious facial tumors.
The black footed ferret is a great example of a conservation program working and why it should at least be considered (they were brought back from a mere 18 individuals). I personally think the meerkat should be the smallest animal in the game, and these are just around that size so it could work. Also having a weasel war dance animation would be adorable.
Curassow: Northern Helmeted Curassow or Alagoas Curassow
So I know curassows are like one of the last birds people are asking for, I think maybe 2 or 3 ever got modded for zoo tycoon 2, but I personally think they make a lot of sense, hear me out. 1st the neotropics are famous for there bird diversity, however we have no birds from the entire hemisphere, curassows as some of the largest ground birds in neotropical rainforests fill in a gap, imagine them living alongside the capuchins or maybe the giant anteaters. 2nd they are a group heavily hunted for food and habitat loss leading to several endangered species. 3rd the fact they are an obscure group of birds means that Planet zoo can be a really important piece of PR and get people to learn more about the group as a whole and lead to conservation action. Games like planet zoo can have a really important job of introducing people to animals they otherwise may never hear about.
The endangered Northern Helmeted Curassow is my #1 choice. It is a really nice looking bird, with a cool casque on the head, and makes some odd noises. This bird will give us some much needed ground bird diversity rather than just the Indian peafowl.
The extinct in the wild Alagoas Curassow would be another good choice, that said it is only held in two aviaries, so may be too obscure of a choice
Vulture: Ruppell’s Vulture, Lappet-faced Vulture, or California Condor
Vultures are flying birds, I get it, it is two hard to figure out air volumetrics, especially when diving is also missing. I am however not proposing these vultures fly. Most zoos that I have visited that have African vultures house them in open exhibits with all your African hoofstock, like giraffes, zebra and gazelles. They wander around the open plains, perch on logs or other provided spots, and it would be wonderful to replicate this in the game. Moving back a step, why vultures? Vultures are critical to many terrestrial ecosystems as the only obligate vertebrate scavengers, and today vultures are rather endangered, with the majority of species endangered or critically endangered. This is due to poisoning, both on purpose and on accident, you have lead shot and DDT in the new world, then you have poison meant to kill lions or as medication for cows that kills vultures, some poachers even poison vultures, because they can lead rangers right to them. The story of Indian vulture decline specifically is harrowing, but I think an African species would have more use in game, and the Indian vulture decline crisis can be brought up in dialogue. Finally, if you have never seen how vultures move quickly over the ground, something coined the “happy vulture hop” then you do not know what you are missing.
Ruppell's Vulture a critically endangered African species is my #1 choice, it is perhaps the best looking species, with gorgeous wing feathers.
The endangered Lappet-faced vulture would have to be a runner up, as I think it is the more iconic looking african vulture that more people are familiar with.
Finally though not an African species, like the black-footed ferret the critically endangered California Condor is a species from North America that was brought back from the brink after dealing with poison in the environment. It is also one of the largest flying birds, and so would be an awesome choice, despite it not having the same practicality when it comes to use in Savannah exhibits.
Exhibit: Panamanian golden frog, Blue-spotted tree monitor, or Santa Catalina Rattlesnake
We do have a few endangered exhibit animals, but there are a whole list of endangered Reptiles and amphibians, one of these three choices would be my pick for an endangered exhibit animal.
Panamanian golden frogs, after the extinct golden toad has to be the poster child for the global amphibian decline, having likely become extinct in the wild, know only existing in zoo collections; which is why this would be my #1 choice. Having this animal included would allow a story line describing the decline of amphibian worldwide and chytridiomycosis specifically, but also talk about the pet trade, pollution, and general habitat degradation.
The blue-spotted tree monitor is perhaps the most beautiful lizard in the world. It is restricted to the tiny island of Batanta in Indonesia. This tiny range combined with its beautiful coloration which attracts the attention of reptile collectors has meant the species has become endangered.
The Santa Catalina Rattlesnake is a unique species of critically endangered rattlesnake found on a tiny island in the Gulf of California. It is noted for its lack of a rattle, and comes in two distinct color variations. For its conservation story, it is highly range restricted to a single small island like the blue spotted tree monitor, hunted by feral cats, allowing discussion of the danger cats pose to wild animals, and is collected for the pet trade.
any way that is the rational and idea for an Endangered Species DLC
First major gameplay changes
In-situ research- this option would allow vets to travel abroad to do research on endangered animals in the wild though more expensive, it would speed up the process significantly and allow for some exclusive research items for animals.
Artificial Insemination- A common approach in zoo breeding these days, this would allow vets to artificially inseminate female animals with sperm from unrelated off site animals in a new menu, this would be a cheaper option to improving genetics and ratings than buying new animals, but depending on the vets training and cost of the sperm would not always succeed. This would also allow vets to collect sperm from your animals that you could sell or use later.
Scenery and Foliage
While I would not have a new theme, I would add some new statues for the new animals, and maybe some new conservation signs. For foliage the primary focus would be rare plants like wood’s cycad, wollemi pine, golden barrel cactus, venus flytrap, dawn redwood, silver palm, and sweet pitcher plant.
For animals I have 6 standard animals (a cat, an ungulate, a primate, another mammal, a curassow, and a vulture) and 1 exhibit animal. There are so many options I have included my top 2 or 3 picks for each with some rational as to why each was included
Amur Leopard
I think the Critically Endangered Amur Leopard is really the only choice for an additional endangered species of cat, yes, you could argue for the spanish lynx or florida panther, but both of those are incredibly rare in zoo collections; Amur Leopards on the other hand seem more common to see at a zoo than the African subspecies, at least for me. Leopards (specifically Panthera pardus, not snow leopards) are missing from the game, and this adds them into the game. It also adds an animal that can help allow for the creation of a Primorsky Krai area with the Amur Tiger. The hard work of Ex situ conservation on this species, really makes it the most logical choice for a conservation themed expansion to a zoo building game. Plus the young ones are really fluffy. The conservation story that can be explored is on anti-poaching and the destruction of the northern forests it and the amur tiger are native to.
Hoofstock: Scimitar-horned Oryx, Przewalski’s Horse, or Saiga Antelope
So picking an endangered hoofed mammal is important
I am going to go with the Scimitar-horned Oryx, as the #1 choice. It is extinct in the wild, but captive breeding programs have made it rather common in zoos, and the species is even beginning to be released back into the wild, making a compelling story to tell in a campaign mission. They are also among the most beautiful of African antelope, and one of the handful essential african game missing.
Przewalski’s Horse, a critically endangered wild horse, has been a staple of zoo tycoon endangered species packs. It is a pretty strong choice, people love horses, and it isn’t a zebra. I could see a campaign mission set in Russia specifically about breeding these and the amur leopard.
The Saiga, though one of the coolest animals on the planet and critically endangered, is maybe a less great choice due to its rarity in zoos, only a handful currently in Russia, which if we are going to species this rare in captivity why not add a saola to this list. It has been the fastest declining large mammal in the world, mainly due to demand for traditional medicine, but also disease breakouts that recently wiped out half of the population.
Primate: Coquerel's Sifaka or Siamang
There are a lot of rare primates in the world with stories to talk about but I think one of these two would be the best.
So the critically endangered Coquerel's Sifaka is my #1 pick. Yes, we do already have 2 lemur species, but discussing deforestation in Madagascar is something I think really needs to be driven home, and Planet Zoo has the potential to do that. The Coquerel's Sifaka is the right choice specifically because 1-it is a beautiful primate 2-it is cute, and specifically it crosses the ground with these really cute leaps that I have long wanted to see in a video game and 3- the nostalgia factor of Zoboomafoo, which had a Coquerel's Sifaka as the main characters, and because of nostalgia this will make people more likely to purchase this expansion.
We are missing a lot of Indonesian/south asian animal diversity, and so the endangered siamang could fill that gap. We do not have a gibbon, which are some of the coolest primates, and the siamang is one of the most famous, with its loud calls. It is a great ambassador like the orangutan for palm oil plantations and the deforestation involved. Its main issue is its arboreal nature, and unfortunately the koala shows that the game currently has trouble with more arboreal animals. Gibbon did move across the ground in zoos so I could see it. If this species was chosen, I would really want a new rope bridge building thing that would allow the gibbons to cross over guest paths or between islands, as that is the fun real zoos have in building habitats for gibbons.
Random Mammal: Tasmanian Devil or Black-footed Ferret
A cat, a ungulate, and a primate cannot do justice to all endangered mammals, so I think if this is a slightly larger pack, in addition to some endangered birds it would be nice to have a rare smaller mammal.
The endangered Tasmanian Devil is my #1 pick, as with the release of the Australia pack it is really the only Australian animal (save maybe the wombat, Emu, rock wallaby, and black swan) I really think is missing. They are the largest of extant marsupial carnivores, and have a whole story of different factors making them rare, from extinction on the mainland, to being hunted during the colonization of Tasmania, to roads, to now the contagious facial tumors.
The black footed ferret is a great example of a conservation program working and why it should at least be considered (they were brought back from a mere 18 individuals). I personally think the meerkat should be the smallest animal in the game, and these are just around that size so it could work. Also having a weasel war dance animation would be adorable.
Curassow: Northern Helmeted Curassow or Alagoas Curassow
So I know curassows are like one of the last birds people are asking for, I think maybe 2 or 3 ever got modded for zoo tycoon 2, but I personally think they make a lot of sense, hear me out. 1st the neotropics are famous for there bird diversity, however we have no birds from the entire hemisphere, curassows as some of the largest ground birds in neotropical rainforests fill in a gap, imagine them living alongside the capuchins or maybe the giant anteaters. 2nd they are a group heavily hunted for food and habitat loss leading to several endangered species. 3rd the fact they are an obscure group of birds means that Planet zoo can be a really important piece of PR and get people to learn more about the group as a whole and lead to conservation action. Games like planet zoo can have a really important job of introducing people to animals they otherwise may never hear about.
The endangered Northern Helmeted Curassow is my #1 choice. It is a really nice looking bird, with a cool casque on the head, and makes some odd noises. This bird will give us some much needed ground bird diversity rather than just the Indian peafowl.
The extinct in the wild Alagoas Curassow would be another good choice, that said it is only held in two aviaries, so may be too obscure of a choice
Vulture: Ruppell’s Vulture, Lappet-faced Vulture, or California Condor
Vultures are flying birds, I get it, it is two hard to figure out air volumetrics, especially when diving is also missing. I am however not proposing these vultures fly. Most zoos that I have visited that have African vultures house them in open exhibits with all your African hoofstock, like giraffes, zebra and gazelles. They wander around the open plains, perch on logs or other provided spots, and it would be wonderful to replicate this in the game. Moving back a step, why vultures? Vultures are critical to many terrestrial ecosystems as the only obligate vertebrate scavengers, and today vultures are rather endangered, with the majority of species endangered or critically endangered. This is due to poisoning, both on purpose and on accident, you have lead shot and DDT in the new world, then you have poison meant to kill lions or as medication for cows that kills vultures, some poachers even poison vultures, because they can lead rangers right to them. The story of Indian vulture decline specifically is harrowing, but I think an African species would have more use in game, and the Indian vulture decline crisis can be brought up in dialogue. Finally, if you have never seen how vultures move quickly over the ground, something coined the “happy vulture hop” then you do not know what you are missing.
Ruppell's Vulture a critically endangered African species is my #1 choice, it is perhaps the best looking species, with gorgeous wing feathers.
The endangered Lappet-faced vulture would have to be a runner up, as I think it is the more iconic looking african vulture that more people are familiar with.
Finally though not an African species, like the black-footed ferret the critically endangered California Condor is a species from North America that was brought back from the brink after dealing with poison in the environment. It is also one of the largest flying birds, and so would be an awesome choice, despite it not having the same practicality when it comes to use in Savannah exhibits.
Exhibit: Panamanian golden frog, Blue-spotted tree monitor, or Santa Catalina Rattlesnake
We do have a few endangered exhibit animals, but there are a whole list of endangered Reptiles and amphibians, one of these three choices would be my pick for an endangered exhibit animal.
Panamanian golden frogs, after the extinct golden toad has to be the poster child for the global amphibian decline, having likely become extinct in the wild, know only existing in zoo collections; which is why this would be my #1 choice. Having this animal included would allow a story line describing the decline of amphibian worldwide and chytridiomycosis specifically, but also talk about the pet trade, pollution, and general habitat degradation.
The blue-spotted tree monitor is perhaps the most beautiful lizard in the world. It is restricted to the tiny island of Batanta in Indonesia. This tiny range combined with its beautiful coloration which attracts the attention of reptile collectors has meant the species has become endangered.
The Santa Catalina Rattlesnake is a unique species of critically endangered rattlesnake found on a tiny island in the Gulf of California. It is noted for its lack of a rattle, and comes in two distinct color variations. For its conservation story, it is highly range restricted to a single small island like the blue spotted tree monitor, hunted by feral cats, allowing discussion of the danger cats pose to wild animals, and is collected for the pet trade.
any way that is the rational and idea for an Endangered Species DLC