What is your favourite and least favourite animal of each pack?

[Fallax]

I think this thread idea may have been done already but I couldn't find it... So here goes. Also I'm only going to include habitat animals because it is a bit unfair otherwise to compare.

Arctic Pack:
Favourite - Reindeer: PZ launched with 0 deer species in the game which was obviously a huge omission so getting a deer here was a pretty big deal especially one as iconic as reindeer.
Least Favourite - Arctic Wolf: I probably don't need to elaborate on this, its a basic reskin and probably one of the most disappointing additions in the game.

South America Pack:
Favourite - Giant Anteater: Just a complete oddball animal that is iconic and completely different from anything we had previously.
Least Favourite - Jaguar: Of course it's a good animal but considering we already had quite a few cats in the base game this makes it a bit less exciting... Yes I even prefer the llama since I use it way more.

Australia Pack:
Favourite - Koala: Completely unique and extremely cute and iconic, I still have to build very unique habitats for these compared to the other animals in the game.
Least Favourite - Dingo: It's just nowhere near as interesting as the other three, not as bad as the Arctic Wolf though.

Aquatic Pack:
Favourite - Giant Otter: Hard to choose for this pack as it was really incredible with its animal choices but I'm giving it the Giant Otter because I think its a lot easier to make habitats for and my home zoo (Chester) has an excellent habitat for them that I can take a lot of inspiration from.
Least Favourite - Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman: Awesome to get a small crocodilian but its hard to compete with our first otter, seal, and penguin.

Southeast Asia Animal Pack:
Favourite - Binturong: Cute, unique and arboreal = good. Still our only viverrid and I love building for these guys.
Least Favourite - Proboscis Monkey: Considering how limited our monkey pool is I really am not a fan of getting a species almost non existant in captivity when there was way better options from this region.

Africa Pack:
Favourite - Meerkat: Considering these are in almost every zoo at this point these were an absolutely essential addition that also helped pave the way for smaller habitat animals.
Least Favourite - Fennec Fox: This is another pack where all the animals were great but personally this was just my least favourite of the bunch, I use the others way more.

North America Animal Pack:
Favourite - Black-Tailed Prairie Dog: Similar reasoning to Meerkat, but I think I prefer these even more personally. Just super fun to add habitats for anywhere and especially great with Bison. Just a super fun animal.
Least Favourite - Arctic Fox: Just a bit of a weird choice for the pack, there was a lot of more interesting options out there I think.

Europe Pack:
Favourite - Eurasian Lynx: Really fun to make habitats for with lots of giant trees and was great to "complete" the European predator trifecta for my native European areas. Badger is pretty close though.
Least Favourite - European Fallow Deer: This is another pack with a great animal selection but someone has to be the loser, I love that its in the game but I don't find them as fun to build for as the others.

Wetlands Animal Pack:
Favourite - Red-Crowned Crane: A really unique bird... Something we don't get often, an absolutely amazing addition and great to make habitats for all around.
Least Favourite - Wild Water Buffalo: Why couldn't it have been the domestic form?

Conservation Pack:
Favourite - Siamang: Our first gibbon! And it introduced brachiation to the game allowing us to build new habitats. Such an awesome addition.
Least Favourite - Scimitar-Horned Oryx: It's a common zoo antelope and our first EW animal but its just not as interesting to me compared to the rest of the pack.

Twilight Pack:
Favourite - Raccoon: Fun to build for, unique looking, and just very cute and lovable. I love trash pandas.
Least Favourite - Red Fox: I've listed all the foxes so far as least favourite in their pack, I like foxes but they tend to always be the weakest of the bunch it seems.

Grasslands Animal Pack:
Favourite - Emu: This was such a long overdue animal, Australian areas finally felt somewhat complete with this addition. That's how important it was.
Least Favourite - Blue Wildebeest: It's another African antelope, it can't compete with the rest of the pack.

Tropical Pack:
Favourite - Lar Gibbon: Many were happy with ust the Siamang but I still really wanted the Lar Gibbon so I was super happy to see it added. Great to have two gibbon species.
Least Favourite - Asian Water Monitor: It's cool to have an Asian equivalent for the Nile Monitor I guess? Just not that interesting to me compared to the rest.

Arid Animal Pack:
Favourite - Dromedary Camel: It's very close with the porcupine but finally getting the Dromedary felt great and something that really should have been there since the beginning, it just felt right.
Least Favourite - Sand Cat: I've just never gotten the hype around it, I'm cool with it being here but for me I'm just going to keep using the Fennec Fox most times.

 

[jcp011c]

Great thread, I'd thought about this at some point too but never got around to making a thread!

Arctic:
Favorite - Reindeer
Least Favorite - Polar Bear - if only because of the upkeep cost and requirements for to be happy

South America:
Favorite - Giant Anteater - which I never would have thought but there it is)
Least Favorite - Capuchian Monkey, mainly because they are so loud.

Australia:
Favorite - Koala
Least Favorite - Dingo

Aquatic:
Favorite - King Penguin
Least Favorite - Cuvier's Caiman

Southeast Asia:
Favorite - Clouded Leopard - even with the animation issues, it was the only one I was really excited to get
Least Favorite - Malayan Tapir - because it is not the animal as advertised. If they fixed the Tapir, my LF would be the Proboscis Monkey.

Africa:
Favorite - Meerkat - my most wanted animal when the game originally launched, since it is an absolute necessity of zoos.
Least Favorite - Fennec Fox - still an amazing animal, this pack really was fantastic all around, but I guess if someone has to come in last it's the fox.

North America:
Favorite - Moose
Least Favorite - Alligator - again, an amazing animal, there were no weak animals in this pack IMO. But as above, if something has to come in last it's the gator.

Europe:
Favorite - European Badger
Least Favorite - Fallow Deer

Wetlands:
Favorite - Capybara (though the ASCO is almost at the same level)
Least Favorite - Spectacled Caiman

Conservation:
Favorite - Przwalski's Horse
Least Favorite - Scimitar Horned Oryx

Twilight:
Favorite - Common Wombat
Least Favorite - Striped Skunk (still haven't used!)

Grasslands:
Favorite - Emu
Least Favorite - Armadillo

Tropical:
Favorite - Red River Hog
Least Favorite - Asian Water Monitor

Arid:
Favorite - Crested Porcupine
Least Favorite - Dama Gazelle

 

[Captain Callum]

Arctic:

• Favourite - Polar Bear - Basically one of the few reasons to actually buy the Arctic pack
• Least Favourite - Arctic Wolf - I like the wolf since its basically a better version of the timber wolf but the weakest addition when compared to others

South America:

• Favourite - Jaguar - One of my Favourite big cats
• Least Favourite - Llama - Should of been the Vicuna

Australia:

• Favourite - Red Kangaroo - Why wasn't it in the base game, one of the most iconic Australia zoo animals
• Least Favourite - Koala - Not the animal itself but the mechanics implemented were done very poorly

Aquatic:

• Favourite - Grey Seal - Who doesn't love a sea doggo
• Least Favourite - Giant Otter - Otters are supposed to be cute, This one ain't that!

SEA:

• Favourite - Binturong - One of my Favourite arboreal animals
• Least Favourite - Dhole - Nope it isn't the tapir! It's just yet another canid I will never use

Africa:

• Favourite - African penguin - One of the most versatile penguins to use and vastly prefer it over the king
• Least Favourite - Meerkat - I hate to say it but making small habitats for Meerkats is a pain, lacks the cute factor of the Fennec Fox

North America:

• Favourite - Cougar - Favourite big cat of course
• Least Favourite - Beaver - I don't like beavers

Europe:

• Favourite - Eurasian Lynx - Small cat of course
• Least Favourite - Fallow Deer - Should of been a roe or red deer

Wetlands:

• Favourite - Capybara - It's a capybara, what more do you want?
• Least Favourite - Platypus - no hat enrichment, massively disappointed

Conservation:

• Favourite - Siamang - Primate go swing
• Least Favourite - Amur leopard - Big cats are kinda getting stale now

Twilight:

• Favourite - Common Wombat - Always love these lesser known animals to fill up gaps
• Least Favourite - Red fox - Didn't need another fox

Grasslands:

• Favourite - Maned Wolf - Another South American animal and the animations are fantastic
• Least Favourite - Emu - woooo another ratite , can't wait for another

Tropical:

• Favourite - Red River Hog -we need more pigs
• Least Favourite - Asian water monitor - Komodo dragon says hello

Arid:

• Favourite - Dama Gazelle - Move over porcupine, a new gazelle has finally arrived
• Least Favourite - Dromedary - Nice detail but still a camel

 

[Chuditch]

Arctic Pack:
Favourite - Reindeer: Just an extremely iconic polar species and the first deer added to the game.
Least Favourite - Arctic Wolf: I don't mind the Arctic wolf as much as some people, it's an animal that's quite distinct from the "timber wolf" despite being the same species, but it's no mystery that there were more interesting choices.

South America Pack:
Favourite - Giant Anteater: A super unique and awesome looking animal, our first xenarthran.
Least Favourite - Jaguar: Not among my favourite big cat species, and I was already pretty satisfied with the number of big cats we had in the base game.

Australia Pack:
Favourite - Dingo: No doubt going to be the animal most frequently appearing as people's least favourite of this pack, but I've always been one of the biggest defenders of dingoes on this forum and I absolutely adore them.
Least Favourite - Koala: Absolutely essential (as every animal in the Australia Pack was for me), the koala is just held back slightly compared to the other animals in the pack by an overly cutesy model and being unrealistically active. Still love them regardless.

Aquatic Pack:
Favourite - Grey Seal: Even if they're not as common as sea lions in zoos, I love earless seals and was super happy to get one here. I still love the way they move even if I don't use them very often nowadays (as with all animals in the Aquatic Pack).
Least Favourite - Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman: It's cute and pretty, but too small for most habitats and we now have a certified Better Caiman.

Southeast Asia Animal Pack:
Favourite - Sun Bear: One of my all time favourite animals, they're weird goblin animals in the best possible way and I love them so much. Why would you want more bears when the peak of bear evolution is in the game already smh (my lawyer recommends I stress this is a joke).
Least Favourite - Malayan Tapir: Shouldn't be my least favourite, but you know why it's here.

Africa Pack:
Favourite - Fennec Fox: Hard choice between this and the meerkat, but the fennec fox is just adorable and my go-to choice for a fox species.
Least Favourite - African Penguin: Not a bad addition in the slightest, just the only habitat animal from the pack I don't get a ton of use out of.

North America Animal Pack:
Favourite - American Alligator: The only animal from the pack I really use, and use a ton at that. Icon of the southern swamps and my favourite crocodilian in the game.
Least Favourite - Arctic Fox: Not the worst, just feels kinda there and out of sync with the rest of the pack.

Europe Pack:
Favourite - European Fallow Deer: This was the one European animal that was always high on my wishlist, and it was such a great surprise to see them appear in this pack (I think most people were expecting red deer). What's even more unexpected is that it became my favourite ungulate in the game and remains so to this day.
Least Favourite - Alpine Ibex: Great addition, but someone has to come last.

Wetlands Animal Pack:
Favourite - Platypus: Even if not a super essential species (echidna will always be the more needed monotreme), FINALLY getting another Australian animal after a year and a half of waiting was such a treat and I'm really happy to have them in the game. As someone who mostly builds in Australia I get a lot more use of out of them than most people lol.
Least Favourite - Nile Lechwe: Once again an animal I quite like, the rest of the pack was just so strong for me (yes, even the buffalo and caiman) that something has to be in last place.

Conservation Pack:
Favourite - Siamang: Swinging into action, it's now somewhat surpassed by the lar gibbon in quality but still such a great animal. I love hearing their calls across the zoo.
Least Favourite - Amur Leopard: another spotty big cat woo I guess

Twilight Pack:
Favourite - Common Wombat: LETS GOOOOO my favourite animal in the game until the devil finally takes their rightful place on the throne (maybe this month? Hopefully?). They were just brought to life so well and carried the pack hard for me (alongside the actual bats).
Least Favourite - Striped Skunk: It's more unique than the red fox but somehow I find it less interesting. It sure is an animal that exists.

Grasslands Animal Pack:
Favourite - Emu: Finally a zoo game with emus, words cannot stress how needed this addition was.
Least Favourite - Blue Wildebeest: Very iconic animals, but there are other antelopes I'd much prefer. The only habitat animal in the pack that wasn't on my wishlist.

Tropical Pack:
Favourite - Fossa: One of the two carnivorans I considered essential at the start of the year (the other being the coati, still MIA), and it was great to see Madagascar finally get something besides lemurs.
Least Favourite - Red River Hog: Can understand why a lot of people love it, but it's always been an animal that's done little for me. Babirusa will always be the superior tropical hog don't @ me.

Arid Animal Pack:
Favourite - Dromedary Camel: Wouldn't have expected a "clone" to come out on top for me, especially with the porcupine in the mix, but the dromedary is quite possibly the best made animal in the game. It looks godly.
Least Favourite - Somali Wild Ass: Hard choice between this and the sand cat, both just do very little for me personally.

 

[Aramar]

Arctic:
Favorite - Polar bear
Least Favorite - Dall sheep

South America:
Sorry, I can't decide.

Australia:
Favorite - Red kangaroo
Least Favorite - Dingo

Aquatic:
Favorite - Grey seal
Least Favorite - Cuvier's Caiman

Southeast Asia:
Favorite - Sun bear
Least Favorite - Dhole

Africa:
Favorite - Fennec fox
Least Favorite - Southern white rhino (I can't believe I said that!)

North America:
Favorite - Prairie dog
Least Favorite - Cougar (It's the one that added less novelty to the game from the pack)

Europe:
Favorite - Eurasian lynx
Least Favorite - Fallow Deer

Wetlands:
Favorite - Capybara
Least Favorite - Spectacled Caiman

Conservation:
Favorite - Przewalski's Horse
Least Favorite - Scimitar Horned Oryx

Twilight:
Favorite - Raccoon
Least Favorite - Striped Skunk

Grasslands:
Favorite - Red-necked wallaby
Least Favorite - Caracal

Tropical:
Favorite - Lar gibbon
Least Favorite - Asian Water Monitor

Arid:
Favorite - Crested Porcupine
Least Favorite - Dama Gazelle

 

[Spiderhawk]

Some of these are hard but here I go
Arctic
favorite Arctic Wolf, love seeing Ghost in my zoos.
Least Polar bears, their damn habitat requirements almost never meets satisfaction no matter how hard I try
SA
Favorite: Jaguar
Least: N/A

AU
Favorite: cassowary
Least: N/A

AQ
Favorite: king penguin
Least: dwarf caiman. Bummed they only allow 2 per habitat and their habitat to size ratio I don’t agree with.

SEA
Favorite: Dhole
Least: p monkey

AF
Favorite: fennec fox
Least: N/A

NA
Favorite: All
Least: prarie dog

EU
Favorite: Ibex
Least: N/A

Wetlands
Favorite: water buffalo
Least: Lechwe

Conservation
Favorite: P horse
Least: Siamang

Twilight
Favorite: Red fox
Least: skunk

Grasslands
Favorite: manned wolf
Least: blue wilderbeast

Tropical
Favorite: red river hog
Least: lar gibbon

Arid
Favorite: sand cat
least: all the hoofstock

Oceania
All good

Eurasia
All good

Barnyard
Favorite: alpaca
Least: hard to say as I would have picked other animals for the pack.

 

[Naturaroca]

This is my selection.
Certainly it has been difficult for me to choose a favorite or a less favorite on many occasions because I liked almost all of them.

Arctic:

Favorite - Dall Sheep

Least Favorite - Polar Bear



South America:

Favorite - Jaguar

Least Favorite - Capuchin Monkey



Australia:

Favorite - Southern Cassowary

Least Favorite - Dingo



Aquatic:

Favorite - Grey Seal

Least Favorite - Cuvier's Caiman



Southeast Asia:

Favorite - North Sulawesi Babirusa

Least Favorite - Binturong



Africa:

Favorite - Southern White Rhino

Least Favorite - African penguin



North America:

Favorite - Moose

Least Favorite - American Alligator



Europe:

Favorite - Fallow Deer

Least Favorite - European Badger



Wetlands:

Favorite - Wild Water Buffalo

Least Favorite - Spectacled Caiman



Conservation:

Favorite - Przewalski’s Horse

Least Favorite - Siamang



Twilight:

Favorite - Red Fox

Least Favorite - Common Wombat



Grasslands:

Favorite - Blue Wildebeest

Least Favorite - Red-Necked Wallaby



Tropical:

Favorite - Red River Hog

Least Favorite - Asian Water Monitor



Arid:

Favorite - Somali Wild Ass

Least Favorite - Sand Cat

 

[Marvinb]

Arctic
Favorite: Reindeer, nice to have animal, but honestly none of the Arctic animals stands out to me
Least: Arctic wolf, can hardly call it a reskin since its basicly a just a color change. And with Arctic having no exhibit animal and being the first DLC this feels especially lazy
Alternativ: Wolf definetly should have been either arctic fox or Wolverine.

SA
Favorite: Capuchin: nice to finally have a new world monkey in game
Least: Jaguar, nothing wrong with it, i just enjoy the rest more
Alternative: -

Australia
Favorite: Red kangaroo, super nice animal that was definetly missing in the game
Least: Dingo, from all the animals australia has to offer this is by far the lamest to me. I get that they needed a clone tho.
Alternative: Literally anything else

Aquatic
Favorite: Tie between penguin and seal. Just super well made and essential animals
Least: Dwarf caiman, kinda pains me to put it here but it just cant compete withe the others.
Alternative: Wouldnt change the caiman tho

SEA
Favorite: Proboscis monkey, super unique and fun inclusion. Nice to get a bigger monkey
Least: Bairds tapir, why would they put it in the wrong Continent pack lmao.
Alternative: Malayan tapir

Africa
Favorite: African penguin, among my favorite animals ingame
Least: White rhino, nothing wrong with it, i just like the others more .
Alternative: Wouldnt change it

NA
Favorite: Beaver, unique and fun inclusion
Least: Cougar, i just dont have much use for it
Alternative: Wolverine

EU
Favorite: Fallow deer, nice to finally have a normal deer
Least: Lynx, nothing wrong with it, i just like the rest more
Alternative: none

Wetlands
Favorite: Capybara, its the capybara
Least: Nile lechwe, with so many cool animals in the pack this one fallls short
Alternative: Any waterfowl or pelican would be cool

Conservation
Favorite: Siamang, wasnt amazing at launch, but with the update its super cool.
Least: Amur leopard, nothing wrong with it, i just prefer the rest.

Twilight
Favorite: Raccoon, nice to get what is to me the Essential NA zoo animal
Least: Red fox, ehhh
Alternative: Devil, kiwi

Grasslands
Favorite: Armadillo, easily among the best made animals
Least: Wildebeest, just the weakest pick imo
Alternative: Secretary

Tropical
Favorite: Fossa, nice animal, looks amazing, finally something besides lemurs for madagascar
Least: Tie between Monitor and gibbon, i just didnt need any of them
Alternative: Any NW monkey

Arid:
Favorite: Porcupine, duh
Least: Dama gazelle, doesnt do anything for me, sad to have this over other possible inclusions
Alternative: Baboon

 

[Antimony96]

Self-imposed rules on replacements: cannot replace an exhibit animal with a habitat animal or vice versa, cannot use replacements that were added to the game in later packs (e.g. no capybara for South America)

Arctic:
Favorite: Polar bear
Least favorite: Arctic wolf (come on)
Alternative: Musk ox, even if getting two caprines in one scenery poll is a bit much.

South America:
Favorite: Giant anteater
Least favorite: Llama (should have been saved for a domestic pack)
Alternative: Greater rhea. Don't care that the next pack also has a ratite

Australia:
Favorite: Red kangaroo
Least favorite: Dingo
Alternative: Tasmanian devil

Aquatic:
Favorite: Grey seal
Least favorite: Cuvier's dwarf caiman (beautiful and love them in real life but probably the worst habitat animal to build realistic-sized enclosures for)
Alternative: Nile crocodile

Southeast Asia:
Favorite: Binturong
Least favorite: The Baird's tapir which sat in Elmer's glue (excluding this, leaf insect--small exhibit animals, especially this one, are practically invisible)
Alternative: Malayan tapir (excluding this, king cobra)

Africa:
Favorite: African penguin
Least favorite: Sacred scarab beetle
Alternative: Panther chameleon

North America:
Favorite: American alligator
Least favorite: American bullfrog (boring pick for what's available)
Alternative: Common snapping turtle

Europe:
Favorite: Fire salamander (no, really)
Least favorite: European badger (ehh, does nothing for me as an American)
Replacement: White stork

Wetlands:
Favorite: Capybara
Least favorite: Wild water buffalo (baffling choice--no captive presence, barely any wishlist presence)
Alternative: Egyptian goose

Conservation:
Favorite: Przewalski's horse
Least favorite: Siamang (retroactively looks much worse now that we have the lar gibbon)
Replacement: Golden lion tamarin

Twilight:
Favorite: Red fox
Least favorite: Striped skunk (three trash-pickers in one pack is a bit much, and this is the weak link of the three)
Replacement: North Island brown kiwi

Grasslands:
Favorite: Emu
Least favorite: Striped hyena (meh)
Replacement: Grey crowned crane (or about half a dozen other African ground birds)

Tropical:
Favorite: Lar gibbon
Least favorite: Brown-throated sloth
Replacement: Linne's two-toed sloth (yeah)

Arid:
Favorite: Crested porcupine
Least favorite: Dama gazelle (gorgeous but there were just too many ungulates in this one)
Replacement: Sulcata tortoise

 

[jcp011c]

If we're doing alternates since we aren't adding any that were added later in the game, some of the packs stay the same. The roster was just that strong, or my preference was added later.

I would replace the Capuchian Monkey for the Common Squirrel Monkey - though I want the Spectacled Bear more, there needs to be a primate here.
I would replace the Cuvier's Caiman for the Nile Crocodile as well.
I would replace the "Malayan Tapir" with the actual Malayan Tapir. I said what I said.
I would replace the Fallow Deer with the Wolverine
I would replace the Spectacled Caiman with a Swan.
I would replace the Striped Skunk with the Tasmanian Devil. Still would if I could magically make it happen.
I would replace the Armadillo with the Secretary Bird
I would replace the Asian Water Monitor with the Black Howler Monkey
I would replace the Dama Gazelle with the Hamadryas Baboon

Arctic, Australia, Africa, North America and Conservation can stay as is. My least favorite for them are either overall essential enough despite not really caring for them, or they were still strong picks because the entire pack roster was amazing.

 

[NZFanatic]

Favourite on left, least favourite on right:
Arctic: Dall sheep, Arctic wolf.
South America: Capuchin, llama.
Australia: Blue-tongued skink, dingo.
Aquatic: King penguin, giant otter.
Southeast Asia: Proboscis monkey, Malayan tapir.
Africa: Meerkat, fennec fox.
North America: Sea lion, bullfrog.
Europe: Lynx, fallow deer.
Wetlands: Asian small-clawed otter, water buffalo.
Conservation: Siamang, Przewalski's horse.
Twilight: Fruit bat, racoon.
Grasslands: Emu, armadillo.
Tropical: Gibbon, monitor.
Arid: Addax, sand cat.

 

[MisterZed00]

Deluxe DLC:
Favorite - Pygmy Hippo.
Least Favorite - Thomson’s Gazelle

Arctic:
Favorite - Polar Bear
Least Favorite - Reindeer

South America:
Favorite - Llama
Leats Favorite Red Eyed Tree Frog

Australia:
Favorite - Red Kangaroo
Least Favorite - Cassowary

Aquatic:
Favorite - Giant Otter
Least Favorite - Cuvier's Caiman

Southeast Asia:
Favorite - Clouded Leopard
Least Favorite - Dhole

Africa:
Favorite - Meerkat
Least Favorite - Beetle
But overall great dlc pack

North America:
Favorite - Cougar
Least Favorite - Croc

Europe:
Favorite - Eurasian Lynx
Least Favorite - Fallow Deer

Wetlands:
Favorite - Capybara
Least Favorite - Nile Lechwe

Conservation:
Favorite - Axolotl
Least Favorite - Przewalski's Horse

Twilight:
Favorite - Wombat
Least Favorite - Striped Skunk
That was a hard one because i like all of the animals.

Grasslands:
Favorite - Red-necked Wallaby
Least Favorite - Wildebeest

Tropical:
Favorite - Lar Gibbon
Least Favorite - Asian Water Monitor

Arid:
Favorite - Black Rhino
Least Favorite - Addax

Alternates im not sure, but j just want Kiwi, Matschies Tree Kangaroo (or Goodfellows) and another Giraffe in PZ.

 

[KellyL]

Arctic:
Favorite - Reindeer. Runner-up: Dall Sheep. When (rarely) I build a cold climate zoo, I enjoy building for both species.
Least Favorite - Arctic Wolf. Should have been Arctic Fox, or maybe Wolverine. Runner-up: Polar Bear with its extreme requirements.

South America:
Favorite - Giant Anteater. I never expected to like this animal as much as I do! It's so strange and unique and I enjoy building habitats for it.
Least Favorite - Capuchin Monkey. Annoyingly loud, and too many climbing glitches.

Australia:
Favorite - Red Kangaroo. Runner-up: Cassowary. Neither animal really excites me, but the models are nice.
Least Favorite - Koala. Unrealistic animations, and the styling is too cartoonish for my taste.

Aquatic:
Favorite - Giant Otter. Creepy-looking, but the easiest animal in the pack for me to build for.
Least Favorite - all the rest. Well-made models, but I can't seem to build water habitats that don't have bugs and frequent escapes, so I seldom use any of these animals.

Southeast Asia:
Favorite - Binturong. Unique, beautifully made, fun animations.
Least Favorite - Proboscis Monkey by a mile. Ugly, seldom seen in zoos, should have been the Lion-Tailed Macaque, or the Grey or Javan Langur. Runner-up for least favorite goes to the Malayan Tapir, which we paid for but haven't received.

Africa:
Favorite - Meerkat. Essential zoo animal, beautifully made. Runner-up: the adorable Fennec Fox. I love being able to tuck in these smaller habitats between the larger ones.
Least Favorite - hmm, this was a good pack... I guess the Penguin because of my difficulties building water habs.

North America:
Favorite - Beaver. Great model, great fun to build for. Runner-up: the majestic Moose with its classic Moosey amble. This pack was so well done - just look at those details on the Alligator!
Least Favorite - Arctic Fox. It's very cute and I do use it, but it should've been included in the Arctic pack and then something like the American black bear or Wolverine could have taken its spot here.

Europe:
Favorite - Lynx. I do love small cats! The badger is also nice, but its inclusion has me worried that we might not get a honey badger, which I much prefer to the European.
Least Favorite - Fallow Deer. It's ok, I just don't find it that interesting.

Wetlands:
Favorite - Tie between Capybara and Red-Crowned Crane. Who can resist the chillin' Capabara? And the Crane is gorgeous, which makes it all the more disappointing that we haven't gotten similar birds in later packs.
Least Favorite - Wild Water Buffalo. Never used it, probably never will, it just seems redundant. Runner-up: Nile Lechwe, again never used. Instead Frontier should have given us water birds.

Conservation:
Favorite - Przewalski's horse. Stunning model, I use it all the time.
Least Favorite - Siamang. I find primates creepy, and I think the Siamang is not as well done as the Lar Gibbon.

Twilight (ah yes, the roadkill pack...)
Favorite - the goofy Wombat. Great model, easy to build for.
Least Favorite - Raccoon. Nightly pests that overturn my trash, push my plants into our garden pond, and eat our fish. I just can't bring myself to put one in my zoo. Should have been a Kiwi or Tasmanian Devil.

Grasslands:
Favorite - Maned Wolf. Very unusual animal and Frontier did an excellent job crafting the model and animations. Runner-up: Armadillo, another stellar model that I love building for.
Least Favorite - Tie between Emu and Blue Wildebeest. Both animals are iconic and well done, but I didn't need another wildebeest or ratite. Where is my Secretary bird?

Tropical:
Favorite - Red River Hog. Handsome piggy! Babies are adorable. Runner-up: the unique Fossa.
Least Favorite - Asian Water Monitor. Waste of a slot, we have more than enough of this type of reptile.

Arid:
Favorite - Tie between Porcupine and Somali Wild Ass. I use both of them all the time. Also a shout-out to the Dromedary Camel, one of the best-made animals in the game; I just don't use it that much because I find camels kinda boring.
Least Favorite - Dama Gazelle. Should have been any other (non-African, non-ungulate) species.

 

[Eletan888]

This is fun!

Arctic Pack
Favorite: Reindeer
Least Favorite: Arctic Wolf

South America Pack
Favorite: Giant Anteater
Least Favorite: Llama

Australia Pack
Favorite: Red Kangaroo
Least Favorite: Dingo

Aquatic Pack
Favorite: Giant Otter
Least Favorite: Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman

Southeast Asia Animal Pack
Favorite: Malayan Tapir
Least Favorite: Proboscis Monkey

Africa Pack
Favorite: Southern White Rhinoceros
Least Favorite: Fennec Fox

North America Animal Pack
Favorite: California Sea Lion
Least Favorite: Moose

Europe Pack
Favorite: European Fallow Deer
Least Favorite: European Badger

Wetlands Animal Pack
Favorite: Capybara
Least Favorite: Wild Water Buffalo

Conservation Pack
Favorite: Przewalski's Horse
Least Favorite: Scimitar Horned Oryx

Twilight Pack
Favorite: Common Wombat
Least Favorite: Red Fox

Grasslands Animal Pack
Favorite: Red-Necked Wallaby
Least Favorite: Caracal

Tropical Pack
Favorite: Lar Gibbon
Least Favorite: Asian Water Monitor

Arid Animal Pack
Favorite: Somali Wild Ass
Least Favorite: Dama Gazelle

Oceania Pack
Favorite: Little Penguin
Least Favorite: Quokka

Eurasia Animal Pack
Favorite: Takin
Least Favorite: Saiga

 

[abigenius]

Honestly i dont hate any animal in the game, (exept the warthog and the timer wolf idk why ) for me every new animal Is a welcome adittion, i mean, Is PLANET zoo , every wild animal should have a chance

Artic pack
Favorite: Reindeer I'm a deer fan
Least Favorite: Artic Wolf, I love them and i prefer to use them inside of the Timber Wolf but i like more the other ( fun fact, my first DLC was this because i love the cold biomes animal, I start to play after Europe Pack)

South America
Favorite: Giant Aanteater it became my Favorite SA animal, I never I thought it was going to happen, because im More fan of the Mexican Tamandua
Least Favorite: Sadly the Jaguar, is my Favorite animal IRL but i dont like how they look in the game

Australia Pack
Favorite: Kangaroo I like to see him jump all over the place and his rest animation is very good
Least Favorite Koala i like them but i dont like that they spent a lot of time in the ground also their modelo could be better

Aquatic Pack
Favorite: Diamond back Terrapin its our only turtle also im a fan of the Turtles/tortoise
Least Favorite: Giant Otter im not a fan of the animals of this pack, but i like more the others

South Asia Animal pack
Favorite: Clouded Leopard, such a unique creature
Least Favorite: Dhole, i would like to have the fluffy variant

Africa Pack
Favorite: White Rhino, It was my Favorite animal of the game such a long time, its model is so good
Least Favorite: Sacred Scarab i love all the animals of the pack, But this Is my least Favorite

North America Animal pack
Favorite: Puma, an ABC animal for NA ( im from mexico and also they are so common)
Least Favorite: Prairie Dog all fantastic animal and i love them, just my least Favorite

Europe Pack
Favorite: Fallow Deer i love so much their color morphs, also the first true deer
Least Favorite: Euroasian Lynx my least Favorite but an amazing animal

Wetlands Animal Pack
Favorite: Wild Water Buffalo im in love with them, a fantastic model, yeah, i know they are not in zoos but is fine for me
Least Favorite: Nile Lechwe i would like to have the waterbuck inside, but i like them

Conservation Pack
Favorite: Przwalski's Horse my most wanted animal the last year, and my second favorite animal of the game
Least Favorite: Siamang i dont like the primates but after this i like them more, but now we have the lar gibbon i like more

Twlight Pack
Favorite: Fruit Bat an amazing creature and i love to build costume WE for they
Least Favorite: Common Wombat i like all in this pack but this simply Is my least Favorite

Grassland Animal Pack
Favorite: Maned Wolf i dont love so much before but after watching them in game i totally fall in love with they, also im big fan of the name that Frontier decided to give them in spanish because it has its indigenous origin ( Aguará Guazú )
Least Favorite: Caracal i not a totally fan of the old world cats exept some of the asia

Tropical Pack
Favorite: Lar Gibbon i love build their habitat and im fan of the brachiation
Least Favorite: Red Rivera Hog i dont like at all but still a good creature

Arid Animal pack
Favorite: Dromedary im a hoofstock fan so i love this pack, but look at the Dromedary Is so good and better than the Bactrian Camel
Least Favorite: Sand Cat after watching a Zoo series in Disney+ i became a fan of this animal but its weird head is a down for me

 

[Calleo]

Arctic
 1. Polar Bear (don't often use it but it's a must)
2. Reindeer
3. Dall Sheep
4. Arctic Wolf (should've been the Arctic fox, least favourite DLC species)

South America
1. Giant Anteater (a unique zoo staple)
2. Colombian White-Faced Capuchin
3. Jaguar
4. Llama (I like it but it should've been in a later domestics pack, felt like a wasted slot when SA released and we had so few South American species).

Australia
1. Southern Cassowary (gorgeous model and a bird!)
2. Red Kangaroo
3. Koala
4. Dingo (felt like really more marsupials was the way to go given this is Australia, Wombat? Tasmanian Devil? Wallaby?)

Aquatic
1. Giant Otter (Our first otter and a really unique species, more SA representation too)
2. Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman
3. King Penguin
4. Grey Seal (still like it but rarely use it)

Southeast Asia
1. North Sulawesi Babirusa (the highest quality animal in the pack, a welcome surprise at the time and a unique zoo species)
2. Binturong
3. Clouded Leopard
4. Sun Bear
5. Ussuri Dhole
6. Malayan Tapir
7. Proboscis Monkey (should've been the siamang, lar gibbon or the Sulawesi black crested macaque)

Africa
1. Meerkat (the most common zoo animal let's face it, a must)
2. Southern White Rhino
3. African Penguin
4. Fennec Fox (probably my highest ranked 'least favourite', the Africa pack just has a great roster and the fox is slightly below the rest)

North America
1. California Sea Lion (most unique animal in the pack and one of the most unique in the game, common in zoos and fun to build for)
2. Moose
3. North American Beaver
4. Arctic Fox
5. Black-Tailed Prairie Dog
6. American Alligator
7. Cougar (this pack is probably the most even for me and its really close between all 7 animals. Another time and the cougar could've be top 3. But I think, as a European builder, its the animal in the pack I use the least, and it is just another feline)

Europe
1. European Fallow Deer (Didn't expect this to be my favourite on release but very common in captivity and end up in most of my zoo builds)
2. Eurasian Lynx
3. European Badger
4. Alpine Ibex (close between the ibex and the badger, could swap them. But they're rare in UK zoos and I guess the badger works in native wildlife zoos more. Big gap between 1&2 and 3&4 though for this pack)

Wetlands
1. Capybara (Took too long to arrive, more SA representation too. Capybara and otter are far ahead of the rest of this pack)
2. Asian Small-Clawed Otter
3. Spectacled Caiman
4. Red-Crowned Crane
5. Nile Lechwe
6. Platypus
7. Wild Water Buffalo (lovely model but probably should've been domestic water buffalo given its captive status)

Conservation
1. Scimitar-Horned Oryx (This pack, like Africa, is extremely close. All four are fantastic picks and all could swap around easily. SH oryx was one of my more requested species before it's addition though)
2. Przewalski's Wild Horse
3. Siamang
4. Amur Leopard (maybe dips a fraction behind the other three for being another big cat, but like the fennec fox it's still really appreciated and probably ranks above the no.1 slots of some of the other packs)

Twilight
1. Raccoon (Fairly common in UK zoos and always nice to have more arboreal small mammals, close with skunk for same reasons, two peas in a pod)
2. Striped Skunk
3. Red Fox
4. Common Wombat (I just don't use it and think it's a bit lacklustre, actually one of my least interesting DLC species if I'm being honest, rare in captivity in the UK and it's just kind of a round brown ball with legs)

Grasslands
1. Maned Wolf (Top three here a very close and could all be number one. Maned wolf is just slightly more unique and exciting for me)
2. Emu
3. Red-Necked Wallaby
4. Caracal
5. Striped Hyena
6. Blue Wildebeest
7. Nine-Banded Armadillo (If it was a six-banded it'd probably be fourth, but this species is non-existent in uk zoos and I just don't use it as a result)

Tropical
1. Red River Hog (One of the best models in the game and one of my most requested species prior to its addition)
2. Fossa
3. Lar Gibbon
4. Asian Water Monitor (clear last place, lovely model but just a bit lacklustre. I love all three other species but when we're missing stuff like the ring-tailed coati, southern tamandua, mantled guereza, ocelot, black-capped squirrel monkey, white-faced saki, aye-aye, bush dog, black howler and Goodfellow's tree Kangaroo, its a boring choice. Wouldn't have been my first monitor choice either).

Arid
1. African Crested Porcupine (Very detailed model and very much a zoo staple like tthe meerkat, capybara and ASCO)
2. Dromedary
3. Somali Wild Ass
4. Black Rhino
5. Addax
6. Dama Gazelle
7. Sand Cat (Wasn't enamored by this inclusion. I know everyone says arid is ungulate heavy but the sand cat is the miss for me. It's okay but we have a lot of cats and of the four I'd still like, this wasn't one of them (serval, ocelot, Pallas' cat, European wildcat). Personally I think we should've gotten the serval in grasslands and the caracal in arid).

 

[NZFanatic]

Fallow Deer i love so much their color morphs, also the first true deer

Reindeer and moose are 'true deer'.

 

[CharlieXGaming]

I didn’t even see this lol
Here’s my go:

Arctic Pack
Favourite • Polar Bear - A zoo essential, I use them all the time.
Least Favourite • Arctic Wolf - I don’t really use any of the animals from this pack except for the bear honestly, this one just comes last cause I don’t use wolves a lot.

South America Pack
Favourite • Giant Anteater - Love its inclusion in this pack, such a beautiful animal.
Least Favourite • Llama - I get that it can be used in children’s zoos, I just wish it was swapped out for something more useful like guanaco or vicuña.

Australia Pack
Favourite • Southern Cassowary - I feel like this one gets overlooked a lot, it had one of the most detailed models at its time, and they’re fun to build for.
Least Favourite • Dingo - Never used them, I honestly forgot we even had dingos cause I scroll right past em in the market.

Aquatic Pack
Favourite • King Penguin - I think everyone was amazed we were getting penguins, me included. Nothing beats seeing them swim around in that first announce trailer.
Least Favourite • Giant Otter - The ASCO looks way better. Giant Otter I don’t ever use because of the new one looking so much better.

Southeast Asia Animal Pack
Favourite • North Sulawesi Babirusa - I always love it when we get new swines, and this one was no exception.
Least Favourite • Malayan Tapir - Don’t think I need an explanation.

Africa Pack
Favourite • Southern White Rhino - At first it was the meerkat but after a while this one quickly rose to the number 1 slot.
Least Favourite • Fennec Fox - Another one I forget we have, don’t use it.

North America Animal Pack
Favourite • American Beaver - got no logical explanation for this one, they’re adorable.
Least Favourite • Arctic Fox - Just feels like it doesn’t belong, it being the only one living in snowy colder climate of the pack.

Europe Pack
Favourite • Eurasian Lynx - Still want the Canadian Lynx, but I do admit this was a really cool addition.
Least Favourite • European Fallow Deer - None of the animals are bad, this one’s just the least exciting for me.

Wetlands Animal Pack
Favourite • Capybara - Adorable, Legend, what’s not to love?
Least Favourite • Spectacled Caiman - I actually prefer to use the dwarf caiman, so I didn’t really need this one.

Conservation Pack
Favourite • Przewalski’s Horse - Beautiful story, beautiful animal. Love them. Gibbon is a very close second though.
Least Favourite • Amur Leopard - Nothings wrong with it, but this was the point bit cats started to fall flat.

Twilight Pack
Favourite • Raccoon - Another one I can’t give an explanation to, they’re just too good.
Least Favourite • Striped Skunk - Boring animal for me, could’ve been replaced with something urban but a bit more interesting.

Grasslands Animal Pack
Favourite • Maned Wolf - One of my favourites of the entire game, such a beautiful model and design.
Least Favourite • Blue Wildebeest - Nothing against it, I love it, but someone has to come last.

Tropical Pack
Favourite • Red River Hog - Extremely well executed, and for such a magnificent animal.
Least Favourite • AWM - Nothing against it, just the least exciting.

Arid Animal Pack
Favourite • African Crested Porcupine - Best model, Best design, Best animal for me hands down in real life and in game. What a champ.
Least Favourite • Sand Cat - The gazelle I can at least use for diversity and multi species enclosures, the cat is just idk, eh.

 

[AndyZoos]

This was an interesting exercise and it really has me wondering how these packs might have differed if Frontier had the same capabilities they have now, as well as their awareness of what the player base really wanted.

I put asterisks before/after the packs where picking a "most" or "least" favorite was hard because I love all of the animals in a given pack and while I might trade one or two of them out... I'm very okay with the present roster.

Arctic:

• Favorite: Polar bear. Iconic!
• Least Favorite: Arctic wolf. Felt a bit redundant (and honestly, a bit forced).

South America:

• Favorite: Giant anteater. Wacky, fun, and adorable in-game!
• Least Favorite: Capuchin! Mind you, I actually love these little guys, so there's no shade here. I've just always wished they had gone with another species of South American primate and that's the only real knock I have for any animal in this pack.

Australia:

• Favorite: Koala. Cute and super fun to build for!
• Least Favorite: Dingo. I love all canids and these are no exception. I enjoy them! But really, I can think of 4-6 other animals off the top of my head that would have been more fun to add in-game.

Aquatic:

• Favorite: Giant otter! They've grown out of favor with me since the addition of the ASCO but... They're still the best in this pack! (Grey seal being #2 with the caiman as a distant #3).
• Least Favorite: King penguin. Penguins are cool, but this particular sub-species does nothing for me.

Southeast Asia:

• Favorite: Binturong! One of my all-time favorite animals, very unique, fun to watch in-game, and so on. To think, this almost had a chance at being my "least favorite" if they had stuck with that first model too...
• Least Favorite: Proboscis monkey. Just not very aesthetically appealing to me, and given how rare they are in captivity... I dunno, man. I think if Frontier could go back in time, this might be one pick they swap out and replace for another monkey species.

Africa:

• Favorite: Fennec fox. Another all-time favorite of mine. Fun to build for and watch in-game. Meerkat is a very close #2.
• Least Favorite: White rhino. This animal is great but compared to the other three habitat critters in this pack... I just don't enjoy building for them as much.

North America:

• Favorite: Black-tailed prairie dog. Super cute, fun to build for, and can have a range of different habitat "styles" and work in several different zoo sections.
• Least Favorite: Moose. I just don't enjoy building for them so much. They're majestic animals IRL but as far as zoos go... I dunno. I would have preferred this slot went to any number of different animals. The model is great and I've built for them a few times but it's just not my ideal.

Europe:

• Favorite: Eurasian lynx. Great model, fun to build for, etc. The badger is a very close #2 and on some days would probably be my #1
• Least Favorite: Fallow deer. Great animal, but I have to pick a least favorite, right? The ibex is just barely ahead of it because of the enrichment item... But I still love them both.

Wetlands:

• Favorite: Asian small-clawed otter. At this point, I'm showing I have a clear bias toward small mammals and these guys were one of my most-wanted since the game was announced. The models look amazing! But if I'm being real? Capybara, platypus, and nile lechwe are all juuuust behind them.
• Least Favorite: Wild water buffalo. Ungulates? More like, um go away-tes, amiright?!! That joke was bad. This animal is still good despite being in last place here.

Conservation:

• Favorite: Amur leopard. Felines are fun and this is an instance where you can really see Frontier's growth in animal creation. The siamang is my #2, and I arguably like it more but... The siamang wasn't a lar gibbon. And for that, it shall never have my full acceptance.
• Least Favorite: Przewalski's horse. The model is great, the animal is fun but... I just prefer the others by a long shot.

Twilight:

• Favorite: Raccoon. Really fun to build for and beyond cute. The unique animations really add to their behavior too.
• Least Favorite: Striped skunk. Still love 'em but they're in last place to the wombat purely because they're a bit more "common" or whatever.

Grasslands:

• Favorite: Maned wolf! This one was hard... I love all but one of the animals in this pack...
• Least Favorite: Blue wildebeest.

Tropical:

• Favorite: Fossa. Super cute, fun to build for, and one of my most-wanted since the game started.
• Least Favorite: Asian water monitor. Great to have another reptile option but I can think of a bunch of other animals that could have taken its place. But since they were going with a reptile, I guess this is the best option?

Arid:

• Favorite: African-crested porcupine. Frontier killed it with this one! The model is incredible and they're super fun to build for. Easily one of my favorites in the game to date. The sand cat is in a close second...
• Least Favorite: Somali wild ass. I feel pretty strongly that the donkey and/or the gazelle could have been pulled out for representation for a species (or two) from the southeast US or central America. They look cool in-game but I just... I dunno. There's plenty of options I would have prefered

 

[NZFanatic]

I get that it can be used in children’s zoos

It's really the only animal that can be used in children's zoos. The other domestics aren't really "petting" animals.