My thoughts on the ratings/rankings of African Animals:
Monkeys:
Baboons are iconic staples of previous games, and it's nice to see that they are so popular. The
Hamadryas baboon makes sense as a favorite for its impressive appearance, zoo presence, and Middle East rep. The striking
Colobus monkey is also well-loved, which is also not surprising. They are common in zoos, showed up briefly in Tarzan, and have a very distinctive appearance. While I wouldn't really say
Gelada's are underrated, I do think getting a baboon should be higher priority. With 3 lemurs already, I don't personally need a
sifaka, but I would welcome them all the same. The
barbary macaque would also kind of add a European monkey, which would be nice.
Guenons and their close relatives are deeply underrated though. While there is a wide variety to choose from, they are overall a popular zoo animal and an important group of monkeys to touch on.
Most underrated: guenons and relatives (wins most underrated overall for me) Shown: Wolf's, De Brazza's, Patas Monkey, Roloway, Green Monkey
Birds:
I'm glad the
African grey parrot and
vultures are getting some appreciation. The
rose ringed parakeet would also be a welcome addition. For flighted birds, I would say the
red billed hornbill is the most underrated. I want Zazu in the game! For habitat birds, the
secretary bird and grey crowned crane are appropriately appreciated as a former ZT2 star and a common zoo animal.
Shoebills aren't really my thing, but they are iconic, I suppose.
Hornbills and Guineafowl are definitely underappreciated options for African birds, but they still have some support. They are funky and fairly common zoo animals.
Most underrated: the "Zazu" hornbill, ground hornbills, and guineafowl
Carnivorans:
The
serval is one of my favorite zoo animals in general. They are a unique zoo staple that I am always excited to see. I'm happy other people like this one, too. The
honey badger is another community favorite and meme animal. I hope they show up, too.
African leopards feel appropriately rated. They would be nice, but I don't need them as much as the other two.
Bat eared foxes are nice, and they have a decent amount of fans. Like Australia, Africa would also benefit from the addition of the underrated
brown fur seal.
African civets are also underrated. The binturong could use some company. I would say the
black backed jackal is the most underrated option for a carnivore. They are visually distinct from other canid options and those in the game, and by taxonomy, I would say they are the most important canid branch yet to cover (besides maybe grey foxes, which are visually similar to other foxes in the game but still cool). We don't have a skinny desert dog, yet.
Most underrated: Black Backed Jackal, African civet is close though!
Other:
The African
springhare would be lovely to see. Ever since I first say them as ambient animals in ZT2, I've wanted to build exhibits for them. Hopefully my dream will become a reality.
Most Underrated: Springhare (second place for most underrated overall for me)
Ungulates:
Africa has a great selection of ungulates already. After the Arid pack, I hope some other regions/taxa get some attention before returning to African ungulates, which still have some good options.
Kudu, elands, gerenuk and dik-diks are all well appreciated. The
Aoudad is a favorite on the forum even if it doesn't rank too high. I think
hartebeests are kind of underappreciated, but I don't really want to add more antelope to the list. A
Grevy's zebra would be nice, but it doesn't seem necessary. I guess I would say that the
Masai Giraffe (or Rothschild's) is the most underrated. It's very common for zoos to showcase more than one subspecies of giraffe. I would miss them most.
Most Underrated: Masai Giraffe
Smaller Exhibit Animals and Reptiles:
Africa could use a croc. The
Nile crocodile is a strong contender and the
slender-snouted is another slightly underrated possibility. I'm glad the
spurred tortoise gets some love.
Pancake tortoises and black mambas get a fair amount of love here, which is good to see. I would say the
red headed "rainbow" agama is the most underrated exhibit animal and reptile from Africa.
Most Underrated: Rainbow Agama
