If you're like me and tend to create specific areas in your zoos dedicated to animals from certain regions (Africa, Oceania, et.), biomes (Tropical, Tundra, etc.), or types of animals (Cats, Bears, Primates, etc.), then this should be fun. What are some of the weirdest, silliest, most bizarre ideas for sections like this in a zoo? (Just to clarify, I'm not creating this as a way to get ideas from people. I'm just having fun and am curious to see what you'd come up with.)
Your Weirdest Ideas for Zoo Sections
- Thread starter FlameWizard492
- Start date
Well, I kinda do it by continent and/or animal group, but if I were to make a crazy one, then:
Loudmouths
Loudmouths
- Siamang
- Gray wolf
- Arctic wolf
- California sea lion
- Colombian white-faced capuchin
- 30+ educator podiums
Don't forget a steam train running above the guest paths
Cursed Biomes
Non native animals in the completely wrong biome
Tundra area - barren habitats with tundra foliage and rocks
Tropical Rainforest - lush tropical forests with lots of water
Desert - sand , sand everywhere with no water
Taiga - Taiga foliage and hilly terrain
Non native animals in the completely wrong biome
Tundra area - barren habitats with tundra foliage and rocks
- Caracal
- Koala
- Proboscis Monkey
- Saltwater Crocodile
- Fennec Fox
Tropical Rainforest - lush tropical forests with lots of water
- Polar Bear
- King penguin
- Bactrian Camel
- Meerkat
- American Bison
Desert - sand , sand everywhere with no water
- Grizzly Bear
- American Beaver
- Alpine Ibex
- Grey seal
- Amur Tiger
Taiga - Taiga foliage and hilly terrain
- African Elephant
- Red Kangaroo
- African Penguin
- Southern White Rhino
- Capuchin Monkey
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The Scent Trail
(Animals with a distinct smell)
Spots and Stripes
(Self Explanatory)
Fairytale Kingdom
(Animals often seen in Fairytales)
(Animals with a distinct smell)
- Striped Skunk
- North American Beaver
- Maned Wolf
- Binturong
Spots and Stripes
(Self Explanatory)
- Spotted Hyena
- Cheetah
- Amur Leopard
- Jaguar
- European Fallow Deer
- Reticulated Giraffe (at a stretch)
- Striped Hyena
- Striped Skunk
- European Badger
- Bongo
- Plain’s Zebra
- Okapi
Fairytale Kingdom
(Animals often seen in Fairytales)
- Grizzly Bear
- Timber/Arctic Wolf
- Red Fox
- European Badger
- West African Lion
- American Bullfrog/Goliath Frog
- Red Deer/European Fallow Deer
Wait, what do beavers and maned wolves smell like?
Beavers have a distinct vanilla smell - their anal glands secrete castoreum (which is used as an additive in some vanilla flavourings and apparently makes some individuals smell strongly of vanilla).
Maned Wolves have a smell similar to skunk spray, which is extremely strong and recognisable - their enclosures are often smelt before they are seen!
The largest part of Akron Zoo is Legends of the Wild, themed around human mythology pertaining to animals around the world, including South America (alpaca, jaguar, capybara), Madagascar (lemurs & herps), and Asia (snow leopard, slow loris, tufted deer).
I was inspired by recent discussion on traditional zoo sections on DLC thread to create one for uncommon sections, so I'm glad to see the thread already exists.
Mine aren't that weird or crazy, but still I like to force myself to alteast one unorthodox section per zoo to keep things dynamic and try out new animal combinations. Here are few from some of my projects:
---
Marco Polo's Caravan (Alternatively Spirits & Unicorns): Two separate habitats for male and female Indian Rhinos, both mixed with different species of Lemurs.
Third habitat left open for possible Sumatran Rhino inclusion.
Habitats decorated with tents, crates, ropes and travelling gear, open scrubland biome with climbing structures and ocassional trees.
---
Ring Of Fire:
-Red Crowned Crane
-Grizzly Bear
-Japanese Macaque
Open habitat for potential Sea Otters.
Enviroment emulating volcanic coast, hot springs, smoking pits, faux lava...
---
Realm of Prester John:
-Hamadryas Baboon
-Somalian Wild Ass
-African Lion (Black mane Ethiopian variant)
-Indian Peafowl
-Gharial
Combination of Ethiopian, Arabian and Indian architecture, desert/rocky mediterranean enviroment.
---
Ancestral Safari:
-Asian Elephant
-Saiga
-African Lion
-Spotted Hyena
-Fallow Deer
-Przewalski Horse
Dry grass and boreal forest environment, Primitive rock, wood and hide decorations.
Mine aren't that weird or crazy, but still I like to force myself to alteast one unorthodox section per zoo to keep things dynamic and try out new animal combinations. Here are few from some of my projects:
---
Marco Polo's Caravan (Alternatively Spirits & Unicorns): Two separate habitats for male and female Indian Rhinos, both mixed with different species of Lemurs.
Third habitat left open for possible Sumatran Rhino inclusion.
Habitats decorated with tents, crates, ropes and travelling gear, open scrubland biome with climbing structures and ocassional trees.
---
Ring Of Fire:
-Red Crowned Crane
-Grizzly Bear
-Japanese Macaque
Open habitat for potential Sea Otters.
Enviroment emulating volcanic coast, hot springs, smoking pits, faux lava...
---
Realm of Prester John:
-Hamadryas Baboon
-Somalian Wild Ass
-African Lion (Black mane Ethiopian variant)
-Indian Peafowl
-Gharial
Combination of Ethiopian, Arabian and Indian architecture, desert/rocky mediterranean enviroment.
---
Ancestral Safari:
-Asian Elephant
-Saiga
-African Lion
-Spotted Hyena
-Fallow Deer
-Przewalski Horse
Dry grass and boreal forest environment, Primitive rock, wood and hide decorations.
I’ll throw my idea into the ring:
Modern pests
Modern pests
- Basically fill an entire section of your zoo with species known for being invasive of “pests”.
- Dromedary camels, wild boars, etc.
- Give the section a “modern” or “city” vibe.
I'm planning on making an Africa vs Asia section. Basically going to be an area with similar species from the two continents to showcase differences, such as the African and Asian Elephants
I have created the plans for a zoo based on the zoological history of Europe, dating from the Eocene (after the extinction of the dinosaurs) to the modern day, using animals that are either close stand-ins for extinct species or are actually the same species still alive today. So far, there are 86 different animal species that I think could conceivably fit into such a zoo.
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The aquarium I used to work at had a small section dedicated to animal phobias, it had snakes, spiders, rats, toads, and some other invertebrates. Not really doable in PZ I think unless you want to stretch it.
One thing that is doable would be a big complex for each continents largest terrestrial animal:
Africa - African Bush Elephant
Asia - Asian Elephant
Australia - Red Kangaroo
Europe - Wisent
North America - American Bison
South America - Baird's Tapir
One thing that is doable would be a big complex for each continents largest terrestrial animal:
Africa - African Bush Elephant
Asia - Asian Elephant
Australia - Red Kangaroo
Europe - Wisent
North America - American Bison
South America - Baird's Tapir