My thoughts on the rankings/ratings of European Animals (as a NA resident):
Ungulates:
The
wild boar is the most popular, and I think it is appropriately rated. While it is not appealing to me personally, it would fill a different niche. The
wisent seems to be by far the most underrated of the ungulates. While I rarely build European sections (I've never heard of one in a zoo in my country), the few times I've tried, I really thought a wisent would be nice. My opinion of them has changed dramatically, and I would actually like to see them. They are a bit different from the NA one and have a different social structure, space requirements, and plant coverage. It's still not in my top 50, but I think they are deeply underrated. The
saiga is cool, and appropriately rated in my eyes. I would like to see them in the game. The low support for the
roe deer makes sense. Europe already has its four exciting deer. If they don't plan on adding domestics, the
mouflon is underrated. This domestic sheep ancestor would make a good substitute for the farm animals I'm kind of hoping for instead. The
chamois seems kind of cool. It would be nice to pair them with the different-looking alpine ibex. I think that actually covers all of Europe's missing ungulates. Depending on the length of support, I could picture 1-3 of them making it into the game as good additions.
Most Underrated: Wisent (wins most underrated overall)
Carnivorans:
The
pine marten (or beech?) is deeply underrated. This seems like the most interesting addition for Europe, which doesn't have any climbers. The work for this rig could be re-used to make a yellow-throated marten, which would also be popular. The similar
ermines might be too small, but I would not be opposed to one of those instead. The popularity of the
wolverine makes sense. Given the other
cats and otters in the game and on the wishlist, the lower popularity of these options makes sense. A
mink would be a cool and unique aquatic option for Europe and is probably also underrated. I almost forgot: a European
wolf and/or
bear are also possible, but their lower rating makes sense given the Timber wolf (which still kind of counts) and there are already two bear subspecies. Still I wouldn't mind if Europe/Eurasia got a dedicated large carnivore. I do want all of the bear species first, though.
Most Underrated: Pine Marten
Birds:
The
mute swan is such an icon, and the only European bird I've seen in captivity here. It is deeply underrated. The
great white pelican has a lot of support, which I'm glad to see. A pelican would make a fantastic addition.
Mallards are an underrated option for ducks. The relatively lower popularity of the
stork and
capercaillie makes sense to me. I did read
The Wheel on the School as a kid, and I wouldn't mind storks. For flying birds, the
Snowy and
Eurasian Eagle Owl are pretty iconic and I'm glad they're so popular.
Ravens, Golden Eagles, and Bearded Vultures would be nice to see.
Puffins are also iconic and a good option.
Most Underrated: mute swan (habitat), raven (flying)
Rodents/Critters:
The lower popularity of the
beaver and
marmot makes sense to me. I think a
mountain hare is underrated. That would be a cool option for a rodent. Apparently rabbits will work well from the quokka rig, so the work to make one seems like less of a concern.
Hedgehogs are too cute to hate, but they might be too small.
Most Underrated: Mountain Hare
Exhibit Animals:
The
legless lizard seems interesting and somewhat appreciated.
Eurasian adders seem possible. I think the
Hermann's tortoise is the most underrated. A black and yellow, woodland tortoise would be wonderful.
Most Underrated: Hermann's Tortoise
Domestic Animals:
Europe has some of the coolest domestic breeds in the world. If they ever add farm animals, I totally want to see the
highland cow, valais blacknose sheep, a rabbit (lop or Flemish giant), and a
Mediterranean mini donkey. The highland cow is especially adorable, and alongside the swan, they are the only European animals I typically see here. Domestics in general are underrated. This as a barnyard scenery pack would be a dream.
Introduced Species:
I don't really know what local Europeans think about their introduced species, but they have some pretty cool options I'd like to see. I'm not going to much into the ranking of some introduced, possibly invasive animals, but they are good options, too:
Reeves's Muntjac, White Tailed Deer, Chital, Raccoon Dog, Egyptian Mongoose (might be native?),
Aoudad, Barbary Macaque, South American Coati, and Genet. (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mammals_of_Europe) Of these, I'd say the muntjac is most underrated.
