My Planet Zoo 2 Animal Wishlist

 

Planet Zoo 2 is right around the corner and whilst the animal roster has some real gems, there's at least thirty animals I'm still eager to see.

Here's a list of the top thirty animals I want to see at some point in Planet Zoo 2, whether they're included in the base game or released as downloadable content in the future.

As I'm of the mind that all of the animals from the previous game will return (minus perhaps a handful) over the lifetime of the game, I'm only going to mention potential newcomers that we've never had before.

And just for my own fun, I'm going to update this post to tick off any animals that are announced!

In alphabetical order...

American black bear

We surprisingly never got it in Planet Zoo. A quintessential North American species. It's also got a relatively small presence in European zoos.

It's quite versatile, being found in a wide range of habitats, including woodland, swamp and arid environments. 

Status: Not in the game.

Azara's agouti

A very common feature of South American sections and another animal I'm shocked we never got.

It's commonly featured in walkthrough enclosures and can happily coexist with capybaras and rheas. 

 Status: Not in the game.

Black pacu

A very common fish in zoos and aquariums. It is commonly kept alongside other South American giants but, in all honesty, it can make a great exhibit alone. It can be a shoal animal, like the giant gourami. Just imagine pools of them in our tropical houses.

 Status: Not in the game. 

Common raccoon dog

This one's a bit of a swap but we've seen Frontier do that already with the likes of the Sumatran orangutan (unless of course the Bornean returns later on).

We had a raccoon dog in the first game but, unfortunately for me and my non-Japanese zoos, it was the Japanese raccoon dog, which doesn't really exist in zoos outside of Japan. This one does and in plentiful numbers.

Status: Not in the game.

Common stingray

Found along the shores of Europe and North Africa, this species of stingray is really common in European aquariums. It would be our first stingray.

Status: Not in the game. 

European wildcat

An essential animal for European sections and European zoos in general. It is very common here in the UK, including at small, low budget zoos like the ones I tend to build. The Scottish population is considered critically endangered in the UK, so it would be cool for a British-made game to highlight that.

As of writing this post, we also don't have any small cats, so it would offer something unique.

 Status: Not in the game.

Green sea turtle

We've got room for another sea turtle, right? Of course we do. This time, let's make it one that's more versatile; nearly every aquarium has this species and it is found in waters worldwide, allowing it to slot into almost any regional-themed section you can think of.

Status: Not in the game.

Grey parrot

When I think "parrot", I think of the grey parrot, probably because of how common they are in the pet trade and in zoos. They're intelligent, tropical and charismatic.

Status: Not in the game. 

Koi

It's not really an "aquarium fish", and that might lessen its chances, but it does offer something unique in that it is an ornamental fish that would work great in ponds. I'd love to decorate my zoos with them, whether outdoors or in my greenhouses.

Status: Not in the game. 

Six-banded armadillo

This is another swap-out. Instead of the last game's nine-banded armadillo, which isn't too common in zoos outside North America, I'd love to see a more globally-common armadillo, like the six-banded armadillo, although I'm also open to a large hairy armadillo or a southern three-banded armadillo. Armadillos are very common in zoos and can be found in both regular habitats or nocturnal ones.

Status: Not in the game. 

 

Laughing kookaburra

A very loud, charismatic bird and one from Australia, an area that isn't well represented in the game (at the time of writing this post). Its distinct "laughs" are very memorable and it would be great to hear it in the game. 

An extremely common zoo bird, I'd be surprised if it didn't make it in.

Status: Not in the game. 

Linnaeus' two-toed sloth

Instead of a return of the brown-throated sloth, I'd rather we get an actual zoo sloth, like the Linnaeus' two-toed sloth.

If Frontier could make it work as a habitat animal, that would be ideal, but a poseable exhibit animal would also suffice.

Linnaeus' two-toed sloths are held at zoos worldwide and can be exhibited in a range of fun ways, including in tropical houses and nocturnal houses.

Status: Not in the game.  

Nursehound

Nursehound, bull huss, lesser spotted dogfish... it goes by many names. It's not the most "trendy" shark but one that has huge value to anyone building European aquariums; it's one of the most common sharks in Europe and is often featured alongside rays in tidal exhibits. We don't have many Atlantic species, so it could help bring some much needed variety and representation. It can also be found as far south as the West African coast so it has some decent versatility.

Status: Not in the game.   

Patagonian mara

It may look like the lovechild of a rabbit and deer but it is in fact a rodent. Like the agouti above, it is a frequent companion of capybaras and agoutis in zoos and is often featured in walkthrough habitats.

I consider it an essential for South American sections.

It also comes from Patagonia, a unique region of the world that's never had much representation in Planet Zoo. 

Status: Not in the game.    

Pygmy/Dwarf goat

There's many different types (e.g. British and American pygmies and African dwarfs) but I'd settle for any. Although most wouldn't consider them typical "zoo animals", given that they're domesticated, these are nevertheless some of the most common animals in zoos worldwide. 

Popular at zoos both large and small, they are firm favourites of any petting zoo section.

 Status: Not in the game.

Red-bellied piranha

One of the most well-known freshwater fish (albeit mostly for the wrong reasons). It is very common in zoos and aquariums, as well as the pet trade. It makes a beautiful exhibit with its glistening sides, red belly and schooling nature. An absolute essential for any South American section.

Status: Not in the game.

Redtail catfish

I love Amazon river exhibits in aquariums and I feel this fish would be essential for them, alongside the pacu mentioned before.

Plus it's a catfish and we haven't had one of those yet.

Status: Not in the game.

Reticulated python

The first exhibit animal on my wishlist and one from a family we somehow haven't had before. It can reach incredible lengths, being the world's longest snake, something I feel we could showcase now that exhibits can be made to look bigger than they are.

Status: Not in the game. 

Sand tiger shark

The quintessential aquarium shark. Large and scary-looking, it is a star of any aquarium it is part of. It can be found off both Atlantic and Pacific coasts, giving it huge versatility. As mentioned before, there's a distinct lack of Atlantic fish and this shark would remedy that in such a big way. An absolute must-have for me.

Status: Not in the game. 

Scarlet ibis

Whether building outdoor aviaries or tropical houses, the scarlet ibis makes a striking exhibit due to its vibrant colour. When I think "tropical birds", it is one of the first to come to mind and, once again, it represents a family we haven't had yet.

Status: Not in the game. 

Scarlet macaw 

When it comes to parrots, one is simply never enough so a second has made it to my list. There's so many to choose from but the colours of the scarlet macaw just tips it in my favour. Plus, I like the idea of having a parrot from South America and a parrot from Africa; combined with the already-confirmed long-tailed parakeet, it will give us great options for all over the world.

Status: Not in the game. 

Serval 

As one of the most well-known small cats, I feel like it was one of the biggest omissions from the first game. It is very common in captivity and I think our African sections would be better off with it.

Status: Not in the game. 

 

South American coati

After a tamarin (which we're getting in the Deluxe Edition), the South American coati is probably my most wanted South American animal. It's just so charismatic and fun to watch, plus I'd imagine quite fun to build for. Super common at zoos around the world and that's how often I aim to use it in my zoos.

Status: Not in the game.  

South American tapir

Although the first game's Malayan and Baird's tapirs were great for many, they didn't offer me much use as someone who builds smaller British zoos. The Malayan is mostly kept by the bigger, more established zoos, while Baird's is almost completely absent in Europe. A South American tapir is relatively common in zoos all around the world, giving it a lot of versatility. 

Status: Not in the game.  

Colombian black spider monkey

When they revealed brachiation with the lar gibbon in Planet Zoo, I had high hopes it would lead onto tail-assisted brachiation for animals like spider monkeys. Sadly, it was not so but Planet Zoo 2 could change that, especially since "improved climbing" is one of its unique selling points. I always enjoy watching spider monkeys in real-life and it would be great to see them swing around in our zoos. I chose this subspecies as it's the most common in zoos.

Status: Not in the game. 

Victoria crowned pigeon

Found in zoos the world over, it can be the perfect free-roaming tropical house bird or a bird kept in outdoor aviaries. Beautiful in appearance and versatile in use, I think it would make a great addition.

 

Status: Not in the game.  

Honourable mentions

Other animals I want but didn't make my top thirty are Ankole-Watusi, arapaima, arowana, Asian palm civet, black-and-white colobus, black-footed ferret (or a domestic ferret), bobcat, common marmoset, eland, gelada, green tree python, grey crowned crane, howler monkey, kinkajou, Luzon giant cloud rat, Nile crocodile, North American porcupine, pine marten, pygmy slow loris, red squirrel, sitatunga, snowy owl, squirrel monkey, tamandua, walrus, white-tailed deer, while-cheeked turaco and woolly monkey.