That, and even here it's like every other post is "look at my bush dog habitat". Which is fine, really - I'm just being facetious.
What did you do in Planet Zoo today?
- Thread starter Indoraptor27
- Start date
Popped into my African-themed Bongo Valley Zoo for the first time in awhile and started filling in all the gaps.
I started with demolishing a gigantic habitat barrier fountain and turned the space into a plaza with a much smaller centerpiece fountain and picnic tables. The plaza sits between habitats the West African Lion habitat, the Meerkats habitat, an exhibit cave, Lemur Island, and a Savannah habitat featuring Southern White Rhinoceros, Blue Wildebeest, Common Warthog, and African Buffalo. I’m running out of space on the complexity meter but if I have enough space left after filling in the gaps, I want to add a marquee sister habitat for African Savannah Elephants, Reticulated Giraffes, Plains Zebra, and Thompsons Gazelle. I have an area at the back of the zoo ready so it draws the guests that direction as currently it is largely getting ignored.
The new plaza and surrounding habitats
New habitat wall and covered viewing area - Once the plaza was done this area stuck out like a sore thumb so it got a complete overhaul. For some reason, the guests wouldn’t use it so I placed a vista point in the center to solve that problem. I included a couple shots from inside the savannah habitat looking into the new plaza.
Renovated Meerkat Habitat - Just gave it some pizazz with new barrier post coverings, lighting, lowered some of the walls, and gave it a proper sign.
Nighttime shot into the refurbished area plus a birdseye view of the entire zoo
Next up on the agenda is removing the blueprint shops and creating my own custom buildings. I’m going with a North Africa theme so I’m searching for real life buildings to recreate.
It’s been fun getting out of my tropical comfort zone and playing in the dry grasslands. Need to try an European//Taiga/Arctic zoo next.
I started with demolishing a gigantic habitat barrier fountain and turned the space into a plaza with a much smaller centerpiece fountain and picnic tables. The plaza sits between habitats the West African Lion habitat, the Meerkats habitat, an exhibit cave, Lemur Island, and a Savannah habitat featuring Southern White Rhinoceros, Blue Wildebeest, Common Warthog, and African Buffalo. I’m running out of space on the complexity meter but if I have enough space left after filling in the gaps, I want to add a marquee sister habitat for African Savannah Elephants, Reticulated Giraffes, Plains Zebra, and Thompsons Gazelle. I have an area at the back of the zoo ready so it draws the guests that direction as currently it is largely getting ignored.
The new plaza and surrounding habitats
New habitat wall and covered viewing area - Once the plaza was done this area stuck out like a sore thumb so it got a complete overhaul. For some reason, the guests wouldn’t use it so I placed a vista point in the center to solve that problem. I included a couple shots from inside the savannah habitat looking into the new plaza.
Renovated Meerkat Habitat - Just gave it some pizazz with new barrier post coverings, lighting, lowered some of the walls, and gave it a proper sign.
Nighttime shot into the refurbished area plus a birdseye view of the entire zoo
Next up on the agenda is removing the blueprint shops and creating my own custom buildings. I’m going with a North Africa theme so I’m searching for real life buildings to recreate.
It’s been fun getting out of my tropical comfort zone and playing in the dry grasslands. Need to try an European//Taiga/Arctic zoo next.
Slowly piecing together the interior of the "Sumatra Lodge" in my San Ramentos Zoo, it serves as an indoor viewing area for the (incomplete) Sumatran Tiger exhibit, as well as providing a secondary exhibit for Clouded Leopards (they will also have an outdoor enclosure, which the two leopards would rotate between), a terrarium for Leaf Insects, a soon-to-be fully indoor (?) Asian Water Monitor exhibit, and a viewing deck that overlooks a valley that will eventually feature Congo Basin and Amazon Rainforest exhibits.
The interior of the exhibits and building are wildly incomplete, so do not worry, the Clouded Leopards will not be in that barren, rocky, prison cell of an exhibit for long
I hope to finish by the end of this week if time permits. Drew out the plan for the entire building on graph paper:
The interior of the exhibits and building are wildly incomplete, so do not worry, the Clouded Leopards will not be in that barren, rocky, prison cell of an exhibit for long
I hope to finish by the end of this week if time permits. Drew out the plan for the entire building on graph paper:
Thanks Nacho!
What's stopping you? I'd love to see recreations like this, and I don't think I'd be the only one.
Thanks NZ!
I've never let DLCs influence my build choices. I build what was planned at the time; the animals won't run away, and I can do something with them later.
Funny story: I've never built for Capybaras, for example, even though they're my favorite animals.
I'm currently building the roof. It's not easy, I always have to use super-complicated shapes, haha.
What I noticed: I decorated both indoor enclosures with tree trunks and rocks, just like the Berlin Zoo; they can't navigate over the stones. Even the bamboo I scattered around as decorations is blocking navigation (unfortunately, I didn't take any more pictures of it before deleting everything).
RL:
IG:
WIP American Flamingo Enclosure
Really love the look of these, makes me wish there were actual bins that looked like this in-game so I wouldn’t have to sacrifice realism for a lower overall piece count
I LOVE new branding. Did you come up with these yourself?
Y
Yeah I did, thank you! I wanted some iconic Aussie stuff that we actually do and say around here, and not just the tourist trap kind.
Good old Hammerbarn.
Started a new zoo. Pine Thicket Wildlife Refuge. It’s a European set taiga/tundra zoo, but species won’t be limited to the region. Looking at having a centralized “Big Cat Complex” for Siberian Tiger, Amur Leopard, Eurasian Lynx, and Snow Leopard that will bridge the Europe and Asia sections. The rest is still up in the air.
Working on the Europe/Entrance area right now. I’m halfway through habitats for Wild Boar and Alpine Ibex plus a big “shared” habitat and animal talk for Moose, Wisent, and Red Deer.
The moose habitat so far
Working on the Europe/Entrance area right now. I’m halfway through habitats for Wild Boar and Alpine Ibex plus a big “shared” habitat and animal talk for Moose, Wisent, and Red Deer.
The moose habitat so far
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Having some space over in the end is always someting which I have trouble with. The space was not too big and since I already used all possible animals which I could put here somewhere else, I decided in the end to let it be an old exhibit. The water is dirty, roots are showing up and also the concrete is showing fractures. The old shelter is being overgrown and the rope fence which once used to separate the guests from the animals, is starting to break down. I think in the end it really fits well with the sign of Colombiana as well.
On the other small open space I had left, I wanted to create a final African exhibit, which in the end became an exhibit for the Kirk's dik-dik. I really liked how I could blend in the in-game exhibit gate with the door.
And finally some overview pictures. On the right top, you can see the start of a building (will probably demolish what is already standing here, but awaiting new inspiration) for at least the ocelot and American flamingo. Center top you see a rotation exhibit which will feature two exhibits around the building and in the center will be the third exhibit. The idea is that with every zoo visit, it is possible that the animals are living in a different exhibit. Probably it will be: sun bear and binturong, clouded leopard and the third will be lar gibbons and Asian small-clawed otters.
If my PC allows it, I want to create a safari on the left side for North American and European species. So thinking of a large forest with some plains where they can graze. Not a real functioning safari, but faking the idea that guests can take this safari with their own car.
On the other small open space I had left, I wanted to create a final African exhibit, which in the end became an exhibit for the Kirk's dik-dik. I really liked how I could blend in the in-game exhibit gate with the door.
And finally some overview pictures. On the right top, you can see the start of a building (will probably demolish what is already standing here, but awaiting new inspiration) for at least the ocelot and American flamingo. Center top you see a rotation exhibit which will feature two exhibits around the building and in the center will be the third exhibit. The idea is that with every zoo visit, it is possible that the animals are living in a different exhibit. Probably it will be: sun bear and binturong, clouded leopard and the third will be lar gibbons and Asian small-clawed otters.
If my PC allows it, I want to create a safari on the left side for North American and European species. So thinking of a large forest with some plains where they can graze. Not a real functioning safari, but faking the idea that guests can take this safari with their own car.
Safaris often have a game drive where a driver goes off road and gets you upclose and personal with the animals. So many you could have the jeep tour criss cross the intended road, that way there is atleast one car driving around the safariHaving some space over in the end is always someting which I have trouble with. The space was not too big and since I already used all possible animals which I could put here somewhere else, I decided in the end to let it be an old exhibit. The water is dirty, roots are showing up and also the concrete is showing fractures. The old shelter is being overgrown and the rope fence which once used to separate the guests from the animals, is starting to break down. I think in the end it really fits well with the sign of Colombiana as well.
On the other small open space I had left, I wanted to create a final African exhibit, which in the end became an exhibit for the Kirk's dik-dik. I really liked how I could blend in the in-game exhibit gate with the door.
And finally some overview pictures. On the right top, you can see the start of a building (will probably demolish what is already standing here, but awaiting new inspiration) for at least the ocelot and American flamingo. Center top you see a rotation exhibit which will feature two exhibits around the building and in the center will be the third exhibit. The idea is that with every zoo visit, it is possible that the animals are living in a different exhibit. Probably it will be: sun bear and binturong, clouded leopard and the third will be lar gibbons and Asian small-clawed otters.
If my PC allows it, I want to create a safari on the left side for North American and European species. So thinking of a large forest with some plains where they can graze. Not a real functioning safari, but faking the idea that guests can take this safari with their own car.
Wrapped up the Moose and Wisent/Red Deer “joined” habitats. The waterfall top works as a barrier between the habitats since they’re not traversable by the animals. Made a custom animal shelter building with a lit roof and used it for both habitats for consistency. Love how it looks at night, particularly in the snow. 
️ Pretty happy with how it all turned out, especially, the covered animal talk/viewing area and souvenir shops structure.
️ Pretty happy with how it all turned out, especially, the covered animal talk/viewing area and souvenir shops structure.The Arctic eave and Arctic fabric make excellent animal talk seating area covers, btw. Love how the beveled edges of the eave give the seating area bench the ability to show through with pop of color. Gives a bit of a Pacific Northwest vibe.
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Guests walk by .. Hey, Hilda, which bin does the drinking cup go in ? Tiger or Zebra ? Burger wrappings ? Turtle ?
That is a good idea yes. Maybe I can create a custom road, which I can lay over the jeep tour, because I don't like the rail to be visible. Would be nice to have some nul barrier option for the track.Safaris often have a game drive where a driver goes off road and gets you upclose and personal with the animals. So many you could have the jeep tour criss cross the intended road, that way there is atleast one car driving around the safari
Yeah i already tryed that, you cannot place anything on the tracks unfortunately