It isn't an all-animal zoo, but I had an idea and have hashed it out a bit further here - an idea for a European zoo, but one which covers the animals from throughout the Cenozoic era (from the extinction of the dinosaurs up to the present day). This will use many animals as stand-ins for extinct families, groups or species, but I think makes for a rather satisfying zoo.
Eocene and Oligocene
1. Ring-tailed lemur - Represents Adapidae, an early primate family which lived in Europe during the Eocene
2. Collared peccary - Represents the earliest Tayassuidae, that evolved in Europe during the late Eocene or early Oligocene
3. Lesser Antillean iguana - Represents the diverse Iguanidae that lived in Europe during the Eocene
4. Gila monster - Represents Eurheloderma, the earliest of the heloderm lizards that originated from the Eocene of France
5. Boa constrictor - Represents the Boidae that inhabited Europe during the Eocene
6. Giant Malaysian leaf insect - Represents Eophyllium, a leaf insect from the Eocene of Germany
Display: 'The New Dawn' - A tropical house containing a walkthrough display for the lemurs, with a separate enclosure for the peccaries and the four exhibits arranged in a row.
Early Miocene
7. Bonobo - Represents the Dryopithecini, a group of apes that inhabited Europe in the early Miocene
8. Striped skunk - Represents Promephitis, a Miocene-era member of the Mephitidae the size of a striped skunk
9. Okapi - Represents the giant Miocene-era European okapi Palaeotragus
10. Gharial - Represents the gavialidae from Europe, including the Miocene-era Gavialosuchus
Display: 'Miocene Tropics' - A large house containing an all-indoor enclosure for the gharials, plus indoor spaces attached to outdoor enclosures for the okapi and bonobo. The striped skunks have a separate enclosure outside the exit of the house.
Late Miocene
11. Giant panda - Represents Agriarctos nikolovi, a panda similar in size to the modern species from the Miocene of southeast Europe
12. Dromedary camel - Represents Paracamelus, which arrived in Europe from North America during the Miocene
13. Reticulated giraffe - Represents Bohlinia, an early long-necked giraffe from the late Miocene
14. Saltwater crocodile - Represents an undescribed coastal species of Crocodylus from the Miocene
Display: 'Early Plains' - Includes two paddocks, with a shared house, for the giraffes and camels.
Display: 'Southern Coasts' - Includes an undercover enclosure for saltwater crocodiles and an open-air display for giant pandas.
Pliocene
15. Aardvark - Represents Amphiorycteropus, a species of aardvark from the Miocene and early Pliocene
16. Red river hog - Represents Potamochoerus magnus, a species of large bushpig that lived until the late Pliocene
17. Indian peafowl - Represents Pavo bravardi, a cold-climate peafowl which lived up to the late Pliocene
18. Spectacled caiman - Represents the Alligatoridae that disappeared from Europe during the Pliocene
19. Puff adder - Represents Laophis, a giant viper from the Pliocene of Europe (the biggest known venomous snake)
Display: 'Southern Savannah' - Includes an aardvark enclosure, with the puff adder inside the indoor viewing area, plus a paddock for red river hogs.
Display: 'The Time of Cooling' - Includes an outdoor walkabout display for peafowl and an indoor display for the caiman.
Early Pleistocene
20. Chinese pangolin - Represents S.m.u.t.sia olteniensis, a pangolin which disappeared from Europe in the early Pleistocene
21. Red panda - Represents Parailurus, a species of red panda that survived in Europe until the early Pleistocene
22. Baird's tapir - Represents Tapirus arvernensis, which lived until the early Pleistocene in Europe
23. Thomson's gazelle - Represents Gazella borbonica, which disappeared in the early Pleistocene
24. Galapagos giant tortoise - Represents Titanochelon, a European giant tortoise which lived until the early Pleistocene
Display: 'Fast and Slow' - Comprises two outdoor paddocks for the gazelles and giant tortoises, plus an all-indoor display for the pangolins.
Display: 'The Last Jungle' - Includes a diorama-style enclosure, with red pandas in a foreground enclosure and tapirs in the background.
Middle Pleistocene
25. Jaguar - Represents Panthera gombaszoegensis, also called the European jaguar, which died out in the middle Pleistocene
26. Snow leopard - Represents a paleosubspecies of the modern snow leopard from the middle Pleistocene
27. Cheetah - Represents Acinonyx pardinensis, a giant cheetah which disappeared in the middle Pleistocene
28. Cougar - Represents Puma pardoides, which became extinct in Europe during the middle Pleistocene
29. Striped hyena - Represents Hyaena prisca, a close relative of the striped hyena from the middle Pleistocene
30. African wild dog - Represents Xenocyon, which disappeared in the middle Pleistocene
31. Formosan black bear - Represents the European subspecies of Asiatic black bear from the middle Pleistocene
32. Bongo - Represents Pontoceros, a spiral-horned antelope from southeast Europe during the middle Pleistocene
33. Common ostrich - Represents Pachystruthio, a ratite similar to an ostrich but three times the size, which survived to the middle Pleistocene
34. Asian water monitor - Represents Varanus marathonensis, a monitor lizard that lived until the middle Pleistocene
Display: 'The Predator Parade' - A row of seven outdoor paddocks for all the large carnivorans, with an all-indoor display for the monitor lizards by the viewing area for the black bears.
Display: 'Out of Africa' - A single mixed-species paddock for the bongo and ostrich.
Warm-Phase Late Pleistocene
35. African savannah elephant - Represents the straight-tusked elephant, a fairly close relative of the modern African elephants
36. Spotted hyena - Represents the cave hyena of the late Pleistocene, a palaeosubspecies of the modern spotted hyena
37. Dhole - Represents the extinct subspecies of dhole that lived in Europe during the late Pleistocene
38. Asian small-clawed otter - Represents Cyrnaonyx, a small-clawed otter from the Pleistocene of Europe
39. Black rhinoceros - Represents Stephanorhinus, a browsing rhinoceros from warm phases of the late Pleistocene
40. Hippopotamus - The modern hippopotamus lived in Europe during warm phases in the late Pleistocene
41. Wild water buffalo - Represents Bubalus murrensis, which lived in Europe during warm phases in the late Pleistocene
42. Sacred scarab beetle - Occurs in present-day Europe, but strongly linked to megafaunal herbivores
Display: 'Giants of the Floodplain' - Includes four different enclosures for the elephants, hippos, rhinos and buffalo. The elephants and hippos have their own housing, while the rhinos and buffalo are housed in the same building. The scarab beetles live in an exhibit inside the elephant house.
Display: 'Pleistocene Predators' - Comprises paddocks for the hyenas and dhole, plus an enclosure with underwater viewing for the otters.
Cold-Phase Late Pleistocene
43. Indian elephant - Represents the mammoths, the closest relatives of the Indian elephant
44. Amur leopard - Represents the leopards that lived in Europe during the late Pleistocene
45. Arctic fox - Occurs in present-day Europe, but more widespread during the late Pleistocene
46. Himalayan brown bear - Represents the giant steppe-living brown bears of the Pleistocene
47. Przewalski's horse - Represents the European wild horse from the Pleistocene and Holocene
48. Reindeer - Occurs in present-day Europe, but more widespread during the late Pleistocene
49. American bison - Represents the steppe bison from the late Pleistocene of Europe
Display: 'The Mammoth Steppe' - Contains a single-species paddock for the elephants, a mixed enclosure for the horses, reindeer and bison and a smaller enclosure for the arctic foxes.
Display: 'Mountain Arks' - Consists of two enclosures for the brown bears and leopards.
Holocene
50. West African lion - Represents the Asiatic lions that lived in Holocene-era southeast Europe, disappearing around 3,000 years ago
51. Siberian tiger - This subspecies attempted to colonise Europe, reaching Ukraine by the Middle Ages
Display: 'The Last Big Cats' - Two large paddocks for the big cats.
The Modern World
52. Red-necked wallaby - A introduced species, with a particularly strong population on the Isle of Man
53. North American beaver - A species accidentally introduced to Finland in the 1930s and remains there today
54. African crested porcupine - Probably introduced by the Romans, but replaces at least two species of extinct European crested porcupine
55. Egyptian fruit bat - Introduced in southern Spain but also naturally colonising the Greek islands from the Middle East
56. Eurasian lynx - Still present in Europe, albeit in often small and fairly scattered populations
57. Red fox - Probably the most common surviving land carnivore in Europe today, which is adapting to urban environments
58. Timber wolf - Representing the Eurasian wolf, which has survived and is now recolonising lost areas throughout the continent
59. Polar bear - Survives only on Svalbard in Europe, where they are now adapting their behaviour to hunt in prolonged ice-free seasons
60. Grey seal - A surviving marine mammal that is recovering from historic hunting
61. Raccoon - Introduced to Europe during the time of World War II, and becoming increasingly common on the continent
62. European badger - Another common surviving land carnivore that in many places is now the largest surviving land predator
63. Moose - Still lives in Europe, but now lost from most of its more southerly and westerly range due to historic hunting
64. Red deer - In many parts of Europe, now the largest surviving land mammal
65. European fallow deer - Wiped out from southeast Europe in the 1930s, but has been reintroduced across large parts of its former historical and Pleistocene range
66. Alpine ibex - A modern-day conservation success story, with a population increase from around 100 in the 19th century to over 40,000 today
67. Greater flamingo - Still survives in Europe in good numbers, but with reduced range - they formerly occurred up to the Netherlands
68. American bullfrog - A destructive introduced species in parts of Europe, where it is being controlled to protect native amphibians
69. Fire salamander - A widespread salamander but in steep declines because of diseases from imported pet newts
70. Danube crested newt - A scarce newt under threat from the destruction of natural wetlands
71. Old World swallowtail - Widespread and mostly still common, but has seen localised declines and extinctions across Europe
72. Monarch - Has naturally colonised parts of Portugal and southern Spain, breeding on naturalised species of milkweed plants
73. European peacock - A widespread and mostly still common butterfly, but is seeing declines in areas of agricultural intensification
Display: 'The Survivors' - Contains a diorama-style enclosure with badgers in the foreground and a mix of moose and red deer behind them. Also in this section are a paddock for timber wolves, an aviary for greater flamingos with the salamander and newt in associated exhibits and an enclosure for the lynx.
Display: 'Modern Seas' - Consists of two large enclosures with underwater viewing, home to grey seals and polar bears.
Display: 'The New Wild' - Includes a mixed-species display for the beavers and raccoons with the bullfrogs in a nearby exhibit, a walkabout display for wallabies, an enclosure for red foxes and two walkthrough exhibits; one housing fruit bats and the other home to butterflies.
Display: 'Comeback Kids' - Contains a walkabout exhibit for fallow deer, with a separate enclosure housing a mix of ibex and crested porcupine.
With the Eurasia and Barnyard Animal Packs coming out since the creation of my 'European History Zoo', I decided to do an update now, just before the next pack drops. Newly-added parts are in
red.
Eocene and Oligocene
1. Ring-tailed lemur - Represents Adapidae, an early primate family which lived in Europe during the Eocene
2. Collared peccary - Represents the earliest Tayassuidae, that evolved in Europe during the late Eocene or early Oligocene
3. Lesser Antillean iguana - Represents the diverse Iguanidae that lived in Europe during the Eocene
4. Gila monster - Represents Eurheloderma, the earliest of the heloderm lizards that originated from the Eocene of France
5. Boa constrictor - Represents the Boidae that inhabited Europe during the Eocene
6. Giant Malaysian leaf insect - Represents Eophyllium, a leaf insect from the Eocene of Germany
Display: '
The New Dawn' - A tropical house containing a walkthrough display for the lemurs, with a separate enclosure for the peccaries and the four exhibits arranged in a row.
Early Miocene
7. Bonobo - Represents the Dryopithecini, a group of apes that inhabited Europe in the early Miocene
8. Striped skunk - Represents
Promephitis, a Miocene-era member of the Mephitidae the size of a striped skunk
9. Okapi - Represents the giant Miocene-era European okapi
Palaeotragus
10. Gharial - Represents the gavialidae from Europe, including the Miocene-era
Gavialosuchus
Display: '
Miocene Tropics' - A large house containing an all-indoor enclosure for the gharials, plus indoor spaces attached to outdoor enclosures for the okapi and bonobo. The striped skunks have a separate enclosure outside the exit of the house.
Late Miocene
11. Giant panda - Represents
Agriarctos nikolovi, a panda similar in size to the modern species from the Miocene of southeast Europe
12. Dromedary camel - Represents
Paracamelus, which arrived in Europe from North America during the Miocene
13. Reticulated giraffe - Represents
Bohlinia, an early long-necked giraffe from the late Miocene
14. Saltwater crocodile - Represents an undescribed coastal species of
Crocodylus from the Miocene
Display: '
Early Plains' - Includes two paddocks, with a shared house, for the giraffes and camels.
Display: '
Southern Coasts' - Includes an undercover enclosure for saltwater crocodiles and an open-air display for giant pandas.
Pliocene
15. Aardvark - Represents
Amphiorycteropus, a species of aardvark from the Miocene and early Pliocene
16. Red river hog - Represents
Potamochoerus magnus, a species of large bushpig that lived until the late Pliocene
17. Indian peafowl - Represents
Pavo bravardi, a cold-climate peafowl which lived up to the late Pliocene
18. Spectacled caiman - Represents the Alligatoridae that disappeared from Europe during the Pliocene
19. Puff adder - Represents
Laophis, a giant viper from the Pliocene of Europe (the biggest known venomous snake)
Display: '
Southern Savannah' - Includes an aardvark enclosure, with the puff adder inside the indoor viewing area, plus a paddock for red river hogs.
Display: '
The Time of Cooling' - Includes an outdoor walkabout display for peafowl and an indoor display for the caiman.
Early Pleistocene
20. Chinese pangolin - Represents
S.m.u.t.sia olteniensis, a pangolin which disappeared from Europe in the early Pleistocene
21. Red panda - Represents
Parailurus, a species of red panda that survived in Europe until the early Pleistocene
22. Malayan tapir - Represents
Tapirus arvernensis, which lived until the early Pleistocene in Europe
23. Thomson's gazelle - Represents
Gazella borbonica, which disappeared in the early Pleistocene
24. Takin - Represents
Soergalia, a large takin-like goat that inhabited Europe during the early and middle Pleistocene
25. Galapagos giant tortoise - Represents
Titanochelon, a European giant tortoise which lived until the early Pleistocene
Display: '
Fast and Slow' - Comprises two outdoor paddocks for the gazelles and giant tortoises, plus an all-indoor display for the pangolins.
Display: '
The Last Jungle' - Includes a diorama-style enclosure, with red pandas in a foreground enclosure, tapirs in a middle enclosure and takin in the background.
Middle Pleistocene
26. Jaguar - Represents
Panthera gombaszoegensis, also called the European jaguar, which died out in the middle Pleistocene
27. Snow leopard - Represents a paleosubspecies of the modern snow leopard from the middle Pleistocene
28. Cheetah - Represents
Acinonyx pardinensis, a giant cheetah which disappeared in the middle Pleistocene
29. Cougar - Represents
Puma pardoides, which became extinct in Europe during the middle Pleistocene
30. Striped hyena - Represents
Hyaena prisca, a close relative of the striped hyena from the middle Pleistocene
31. African wild dog - Represents
Xenocyon, which disappeared in the middle Pleistocene
32. Formosan black bear - Represents the European subspecies of Asiatic black bear from the middle Pleistocene
33. Bongo - Represents
Pontoceros, a spiral-horned antelope from southeast Europe during the middle Pleistocene
34. Common ostrich - Represents
Pachystruthio, a ratite similar to an ostrich but three times the size, which survived to the middle Pleistocene
35. Asian water monitor - Represents
Varanus marathonensis, a monitor lizard that lived until the middle Pleistocene
Display: '
The Predator Parade' - A row of seven outdoor paddocks for all the large carnivorans, with an all-indoor display for the monitor lizards by the viewing area for the black bears.
Display: '
Out of Africa' - A single mixed-species paddock for the bongo and ostrich.
Warm-Phase Late Pleistocene
36. African savannah elephant - Represents the straight-tusked elephant, a fairly close relative of the modern African elephants
37. Spotted hyena - Represents the cave hyena of the late Pleistocene, a palaeosubspecies of the modern spotted hyena
38. Dhole - Represents the extinct subspecies of dhole that lived in Europe during the late Pleistocene
39. Asian small-clawed otter - Represents
Cyrnaonyx, a small-clawed otter from the Pleistocene of Europe
40. Black rhinoceros - Represents
Stephanorhinus, a browsing rhinoceros from warm phases of the late Pleistocene
41. Hippopotamus - The modern hippopotamus lived in Europe during warm phases in the late Pleistocene
42. Wild water buffalo - Represents
Bubalus murrensis, which lived in Europe during warm phases in the late Pleistocene
43. Sacred scarab beetle - Occurs in present-day Europe, but strongly linked to megafaunal herbivores
Display: '
Giants of the Floodplain' - Includes four different enclosures for the elephants, hippos, rhinos and buffalo. The elephants and hippos have their own housing, while the rhinos and buffalo are housed in the same building. The scarab beetles live in an exhibit inside the elephant house.
Display: '
Pleistocene Predators' - Comprises paddocks for the hyenas and dhole, plus an enclosure with underwater viewing for the otters.
Cold-Phase Late Pleistocene
44. Indian elephant - Represents the mammoths, the closest relatives of the Indian elephant
45. Amur leopard - Represents the leopards that lived in Europe during the late Pleistocene
46. Arctic fox - Occurs in present-day Europe, but more widespread during the late Pleistocene
47. Himalayan brown bear - Represents the giant steppe-living brown bears of the Pleistocene
48. Wolverine - The wolverine ranged much further south in Europe during the colder periods of the Pleistocene
49. Przewalski's horse - Represents the European wild horse from the Pleistocene and Holocene
50. Reindeer - Occurs in present-day Europe, but more widespread during the late Pleistocene
51. Saiga - While it did and still does occur in present-day Europe, they were much more widespread during the cooler phases of the Pleistocene
52. American bison - Represents the steppe bison from the late Pleistocene of Europe
Display: '
The Mammoth Steppe' - Contains a single-species paddock for the elephants, a mixed enclosure for the horses, reindeer, saiga and bison and a smaller enclosure for the arctic foxes.
Display: '
Mountain Arks' - Consists of three enclosures for the brown bears, leopards and wolverines.
Holocene
53. West African lion - Represents the Asiatic lions that lived in Holocene-era southeast Europe, disappearing around 3,000 years ago
54. Siberian tiger - This subspecies attempted to colonise Europe, reaching Ukraine by the Middle Ages
55. Mute swan - While they are still common to this day, wild swans flourish best in large and complex wetlands that have been lost in more recent times
Display: '
The Last Big Cats' - Two large paddocks for the big cats.
Display: '
Lost Wetlands' - A large wetland-themed display, with viewing from low bridges over the water, home to mute swans and based on the lost wetlands of southern England
The Modern World
56. Red-necked wallaby - A introduced species, with a particularly strong population on the Isle of Man
57. North American beaver - A species accidentally introduced to Finland in the 1930s and remains there today
58. African crested porcupine - Probably introduced by the Romans, but replaces at least two species of extinct European crested porcupine
59. Egyptian fruit bat - Introduced in southern Spain but also naturally colonising the Greek islands from the Middle East
60. Eurasian lynx - Still present in Europe, albeit in often small and fairly scattered populations
61. Red fox - Probably the most common surviving land carnivore in Europe today, which is adapting to urban environments
62. Timber wolf - Representing the Eurasian wolf, which has survived and is now recolonising lost areas throughout the continent
63. Polar bear - Survives only on Svalbard in Europe, where they are now adapting their behaviour to hunt in prolonged ice-free seasons
64. Grey seal - A surviving marine mammal that is recovering from historic hunting
65. Raccoon - Introduced to Europe during the time of World War II, and becoming increasingly common on the continent
66. European badger - Another common surviving land carnivore that in many places is now the largest surviving land predator
67. Tamworth pig - A relatively primitive-looking and popular domestic breed from England
68. Wild boar - In modern times, the wild boar has massively increased in range and population, due to hunting changes, agriculture and climate change
69. Moose - Still lives in Europe, but now lost from most of its more southerly and westerly range due to historic hunting
70. Red deer - In many parts of Europe, now the largest surviving land mammal
71. European fallow deer - Wiped out from southeast Europe in the 1930s, but has been reintroduced across large parts of its former historical and Pleistocene range
72. Wisent - This species was almost completely wiped out, but has now been reintroduced to the wild and is increasing in numbers
73. Highland cattle - A rustic breed of domestic cattle that can live in mountainous and otherwise difficult climates
74. Hill Radnor sheep - A highland-living rare breed sheep that originates from the Welsh mountains
75. Alpine ibex - A modern-day conservation success story, with a population increase from around 100 in the 19th century to over 40,000 today
76. Alpine goat - A dairy goat breed that originates from the French Alps
77. Sussex chicken - One of Britain's oldest chicken breeds and is a popular dual-use bird to this day
78. Greater flamingo - Still survives in Europe in good numbers, but with reduced range - they formerly occurred up to the Netherlands
79. Hermann's tortoise - Now listed as a threatened species in Europe, but they survived the challenges of the final cold period of the Ice Age
80. American bullfrog - A destructive introduced species in parts of Europe, where it is being controlled to protect native amphibians
81. Fire salamander - A widespread salamander but in steep declines because of diseases from imported pet newts
82. Danube crested newt - A scarce newt under threat from the destruction of natural wetlands
83. Old World swallowtail - Widespread and mostly still common, but has seen localised declines and extinctions across Europe
84. Monarch - Has naturally colonised parts of Portugal and southern Spain, breeding on naturalised species of milkweed plants
85. European peacock - A widespread and mostly still common butterfly, but is seeing declines in areas of agricultural intensification
Display: '
The Survivors' - Contains a diorama-style enclosure with badgers in the foreground and a mix of moose and red deer behind them. Also in this section are a paddock for timber wolves, an aviary for greater flamingos with the salamander, tortoise and newt in associated exhibits and an enclosure for the lynx.
Display: '
Modern Seas' - Consists of two large enclosures with underwater viewing, home to grey seals and polar bears.
Display: '
Farming Future' - An area themed on a medieval-era farm, with a small enclosure for Tamworth pigs, a walkthrough paddock for the goats and chickens and a separate large paddock for the cattle and sheep, with information about the impact of farming on Europe's wild places
Display: '
The New Wild' - Includes a mixed-species display for the beavers and raccoons with the bullfrogs in a nearby exhibit, a walkabout display for wallabies, an enclosure for red foxes, a wild boar paddock and two walkthrough exhibits; one housing fruit bats and the other home to butterflies.
Display: '
Comeback Kids' - Contains a walkabout exhibit for fallow deer, with a separate enclosure housing a mix of wisent, ibex and crested porcupine.
Writing these ideas down now makes me wish we had got the gelada, because they would have fit in here as well - a member of the gelada's genus,
Theropithecus oswaldi, lived in Spain during the early Pleistocene. I also thought the Pallas's cat could fit in here, but it turns out the identification of this species from a late Pleistocene cave in Poland was in error.
So might be worth reading that one as well. 