Stars?

[XT]

What are they and how do you get the animals to get them. Are they different from the little bronze/silver/gold badges? How?

 

[turkeyfox]

Yes stars are different than bronze/gold/silver. They accumulate over time. Here's a screenshot of a baby anteater that I once took (it's the only screenshot I have on hand). You can see the stars underneath the words "Giant Anteater" and you can see the stars are still empty, because the animal's a baby. They'll fill up over time as time goes on.

 

[XT]

Oh, okay. So it's something that happens as they age if you raise them well?

 

[turkeyfox]

Oh, okay. So it's something that happens as they age if you raise them well?

It's a function of time and welfare and guest viewing. So as time goes on, the higher the animal's welfare is and the higher the number of guests viewing that animal, the faster the stars increase. That's why popular animals like lions gain stars faster, because more guests view them, and unpopular animals like ostriches gain stars slower, because fewer guests view them.

 

[XT]

Oh, thanks. Man, some of my favorite animals are african wild dogs and cassowaries, not the showcase beasties. Stars should also be impacted by conservation ratings, IMO.

 

[iloveyourzoos]

I'd be interested to hear from folks what this means for shy animals, where welfare and guest views can actually fight against each other.