The JDR Zoological Research Institute

[RoderickRavn]

Hi, My name is John. I've been playing Zoo Tycoon from the start, and I love to build zoos. I usually stick to the background, but I thought it was high time to show off my creations.

 

My goal with this zoo is to try and get every original animal, plus a few DL's, marine and extinct critters, in as natural a zoo setting as possible. Let's start with the entrance. As you come in, you get a lovely view of the elephant fountain surrounded by some wildflower planters and ample sitting opportunities. Behind the fountain is our zoo information center where guests can go to find activities and maps for the zoo. Up to the left you can see a small food court. Down and to the right you can start to see the first exhibit trail, The Pacific Northwest. The first animals you'll see here are the Harbor seals!

 

 

Here is another angle. You can see the Harbor seals have a pool to swim in, and guests can get a nice underwater view here. when you are done viewing the seals, and feel like you need a snack, Mammoth cones is a short walk nearby. Once you grab your cone, take a visit to the Northern Birds of Prey Aviary.

 

 

After you leave the Aviary, The next two exihibits on tour are quite exciting. Saunter across the way to view our pack of gray wolves. These creatures never miss a chance to howl at our guests. The largest exhibit complex on our Pacific Northwest trail is the Pacific Coast, which is a mixed exhibit

containing a pair of southern sea otters and a pair of elephant seals. Here the guests have an expansive underwater viewing area, as well as above ground viewing areas. If you get hungry, just visit the nearby Alaskan Diner for a bite to eat.

 

 

As you continue down the trail, head up the stairs to see our magnificent pair of Grizzly Bears! These large, charismatic animals are a delight to zoo-goers. You can get information on these animals, as well as other Pacific Northwest critters in the nearby nature center.

 

 

Our last exhibit on the trail is one of our most celebrated. We are the only zoo in the world to exhibit the Sasquatch! These great apes are astounding, and our research department is developing a conservation program to help get their wild habitat protected. We currently have a male and female that we hope someday will be able to breed. As you pass the sasquatch grotto, you'll come to a bridge that runs over a cool, bubbling brook. You are now entering the New England Forest.

 

 

I hope you enjoyed the first foray into the JDR Zoological Research Institute! Definitely more to come in the following days!

[Firehawke]

Wow! This zoo is looking great so far...very creative! Love the layout and the tour...can't wait to see more!

[(Admin)Savannahjan]

Hi John, we are so glad you came out of the shadows and posted your amazing zoo. You have done a beautiful job on this, so many interesting design elements to examine. You are an advanced zoo builder, and I would like to encourage you to join in with our contests. We would be thrilled to have you consider joining one of our zoobuilding clubs.

 

Great job!

[(Trustee)ZooGrammy]

Very nice. We are so glad that you decided to show your zoo. It's beautiful.

[fountain]

Very nice! After 4 months of not looking at ZT, I see screenshots with fresh eyes.

 

I really like the transitions walking between exhibits and use of fencing and seeing the dl animals. Your zoo looks very inviting for long afternoon!

[RoderickRavn]

Thank you all for the wonderful comments! I hadn't really thought about joining any contests or clubs, but I'll definitely check it out.

 

Continuing on, the next trail in our zoo I like to call New England Forest. Right after you leave the sasquatch grotto, the first animal on the trail is our troop of badgers. Though they are not necessarily found in New England, this was the best exhibit spot for them. They love to romp around playfully. As you continue over the bridge, you'll notice our state of the art animal hospital. This is where our sick animals go for all their medical needs.

 

 

The Black Bear theater is where you can learn about our pair of american black bears. They love to show off for the guests, while also educating the guests on the species. Visit them in their outdoor exhibit to see them in their natural habitat. Just across the path are our magnificent moose! Zoo-goers love to catch a bite to eat at Big Moose Lodge while watching the critters canter around their exhibit. Just next door, visit our blacksmith for some old-fashioned souvenirs!

 

 

Next on our tour we have some special canines from the Midwest. Our small pack of Mexican gray wolves love to run around in their exhibit, but also contribute to a species breeding program dedicated to bolstering their numbers in the wild. When you're finished watching the wolves, head to the Prairie Dog Cafe, or the nacho stand for a quick snack. You can bring your nachos with you as you discover a small bit of Native American history, and visit our resident herd of American Bison. This species was once almost hunted to extinction, but has made a remarkable comeback!

 

 

Be ready to hike as we come to the Rocky Mountains! Upon the foothills sits our American reptiles house, where you can view chuckwallas, gila monsters, and whiptails. The Rocky Mountrain trail is also the home of our large conference center. Many meetings are held here by zoo delegates, as well as many famous zoological research programs started here. Up the trail you'll find our Bighorn Sheep. We currently have one ram and two females in our little herd. We are hoping for little lambs come spring! If you're up for the hike, head to rocky mountain steakhouse for a nice hearty meal. You can then walk off all those calories by visiting our mountain lions as you walk down the trail to the arctic coast.

 

 

Thanks for checking out the next installment of The JDR Zoological Research Institute! More to come soon of course :laugh:

 

[RoderickRavn]

Moving on from the rocky mountains, we come to the arctic coast. Our first exhibit is our pair of pacific walruses. These large pinnipeds love to bask on their ice floe. As you wind around the walruses, head down the stairs to catch spectacular underwater views of our polar bears. Looking for an arctic souvenir? Head to arctic chill gifts, our one stop shop for all things cold!

 

 

Coming down the stairs from arctic chill gifts, grab a quick frozen yogurt, and take a look at our state of the art arctic coast water exhibits. The centerpieces to this trail, this tank plays host to our troop of Belugas. These playful cetaceans love to make faces and play with the guests. You can also learn some history at our historic lighthouse.

 

 

The belugas have a wonderful pair of next door neighbors in our narwhals. These enigmatic cetaceans are a wonderful addition to our zoo, and love to swim around their tank, as well as play with their cousins in the next tank. Across the way you can view the antics of our harp and ribbon seals. Guests love to watch these mammals squirm about. As you make your way up the stairs, you can head to the redwood lodge for some hot chocolate by the fire, or the penguin emporium for all your arctic toy needs.

 

 

At the top of the stairs, you'll meet our herd of reindeer. During Christmas, these lovely animals become ambassadors, and are taken out on the grounds of the zoo. The guests love to get up close and learn some history about reindeer and their role in popular culture. You can then grab a bite to eat at McMurdo's burgers, and make a candle if you wish at our candle shop. Our next exhibit is a pinnacle of technology. We are one of the first zoos in the world to exhibit American saber cats. We have a genetic facility on grounds that collects recently extinct specimens from around the world in a bid to bring them back to life. When enough genetic material is harvested, sequencing begins, and a new life is born. Our saber cats are just one of many species we've brought back this way. Our studies show that they act just like other large cats, and therefore are not too difficult to care for. We currently have one male and two females that we hope someday will naturally breed. the last exhibit on the arctic coast trail is our pack of arctic wolves. They love to howl, and sometimes communicate across the zoo with both our Mexican and gray wolves.

 

 

Hope you enjoyed this installment of the JDR zoological research institute. More to come!

 

[ARIZNANA]

VERY NICE SCREENS . YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY A VERY TALENTED BUILDER .

[Firehawke]

Love the latest posts! Very detailed!

[RoderickRavn]

Thanks Ariznana and Firehawke :laugh: I just love to build zoos!

 

You can reach South America from our Pacific Coast Trail.You enter the trail to ancient ruins and torches. If you're hungry, don't pass up a chance to eat at Montezuma's temple grill for some authentic south american cuisine. If you take the right trail, you can see our state of the art jaguar exhibit. We have a breeding pair that just recently birthed cubs! We are super excited to play host to baby cubs. Just across the way, visit our amazonian river exhibit, containing our homely, but cute manatees. Guests love to watch these lovable critters graze on seagrass.

 

 

If you take the left path, you can visit our giant anteaters. These strange creatures are certainly interesting. Further on, guests really love to see our Patagonian Steppe exhibit. Another one of our successful genetic stories, the steppes contains a breeding pair of giant ground sloths and Macrauchenias, which our guests affectionately refer to as "trunk llamas." A strange revelation for our keepers, the ground sloths sometimes partake in eating meat, though are mostly peaceful herbivores. Continue along to see our giant armadillos, a close relative of the giant anteaters.

 

 

Just past our jaguars and manatees, you can visit the amazonian amphibians building to see red-eyed tree frogs and mexican ceacilians. Grab a gift at Rainforest souvenirs and hop over to see our charismatic Lllamas. Though not wild, these animals can teach guests about their relatives like the guanoco and vicuna. Have a spot to rest, or ride our historic carousel in our zoo center as you exit South America.

 

 

Our last exhibit on the trail is our sea turtle beach. Guests get a rare chance to witness sea turtles on land, as the crawl around in the surf and sand.

 

 

More to come soon! Next on the agenda: European Village.