The extinction zoos saga

[fountain]

Your turkey tale had me .   Then I envisioned your pleas to the money people as asking for a glider and being given a tricycle and a handheld kite.  People will flock to see that!

 

Looking forward to your next zoo expansion!

 

[cadaverine]

5 hours ago, fountain said:

Your turkey tale had me .   Then I envisioned your pleas to the money people as asking for a glider and being given a tricycle and a handheld kite.  People will flock to see that!

 

Looking forward to your next zoo expansion!

 

Hah, basically!

My good friend has been acting somewhat as the investor, in that i occasionally ask her if I can add something to the zoo that isn't technically part of the challenge and she decides what I get (and she makes vague requests for maps, ex. "rainforest"). it goes like this:

 

 

 

 

Were it possible, I've no doubt I would have been given pigeons. Are there pigeon mods? I fear the answer. It would make her too powerful.

I'll probably have her choose the next extinct theme, once this zoo is finished.

 

Now. to the zoo!

 

 

The protarchaeopteryxes are in their exhibit and sitting comfortably. We've taken to getting four animals automatically -- the dinosaurs are typically happier with more of their kind in the exhibit, at least these last few have been, and two isn't enough to sustain the population.  And we have the money to do so, now!

 

The other dinosaurs have been doing well. They're happy and generally healthy, and we have been experiencing fewer and fewer food shortage incidents. 

 

 

And here is the finished exhibit, with the protarchs freshly hatched and exploring their new exhibit. Construction began in December and finished quickly in January of the following year. I've found that my skills have improved with time. I'm able to arrange for exhibits to be constructed speedily once it comes time for such things. I do have a suspicion this has less to do with my skills and more to do with having a decent amount of money and much more limited space (so I need not guess where exhibits could go), but I'm calling that skill.

 

And, with the protarchaeopteryxes finished, I do believe that concludes all members of oviraptorosauria that we have access to.

 

 

While all the dinosaurs have been breeding and making more of themselves (the oviraptors typically being the most stubborn on that front), the chirostenotes have a very nice population. Shortly after finishing the protarch exhibit, they had more little dinos. These, and the incisivosaurs, are by far the most prolific breeders. Ignoring the modern members of aves, of course. We do not forget the turkeyocalypse so easily, lest we grow complacent.

 

 

This was our zoo at the start of March. It's time to head further east, since, well... that's a big empty space right there. And further south (out of range of this photo) is an empty area right by the entrance. Maybe it could be used for something..?

 

 

So, near the zoo entrance, a small nanosaurus enclosure was constructed. As is the new norm, four eggs and the basic terrain. You may notice that it's June. Those extra months were spent doing tasks typically considered more boring than dinosaurs, like planting trees around the park.

 

 

While I did say that the oviraptors are stubborn when it comes to breeding, they are still breeding. Here's a photo I grabbed of all of them together as I waited for those nanosaurs to hatch. It took them a while, but it seems that they're finally starting to breed. They only bred once we had four -- perhaps they needed those extra group members before they were interested in doing so? This behavior is part of the reason the "four eggs" mandate started.

 

 

I figured there was no reason to not check in on the dinosaurs while we waited. For a few months I've been busy arranging for greenery about the zoo, mostly only catching the occasional glimpse out of the corner of my eye.

 

The chirostenotes continue flourishing.

 

I was about to go drop by the protarchaeopteryxes, but suddenly realized that I was getting a bunch of notices from staff about the nanosaurs having just hatched. We should probably deal with that.

 

 

After awkwardly ignoring the animals for a little too long, the nanosaurs were understandably starting to get miffed.

 

An exhibit was quickly pieced together -- they were actually remarkably easy to please, as they were pretty happy with the basics (land, water) and I believe one tree. They obviously wanted more than one, so they got more, but they are perhaps the easiest dinosaurs to please we've had yet. Including the birds!

 

We constructed a movie theater, planted more plants, erected new fences, and created what will likely be the final layout of this particular zoo. Once it's finished, I'll be able to move on and continue my dream...

 

 

Here is where we're at as of October. The approximate areas of the final exhibits (of which there will likely be three) has been sorted, but not what will go in them. That will come soon; for now, I'll kick back and take a breather.

[cadaverine]

It's the final part of this particular zoo, folks! I'm sending a list of planned zoos/themes off to the 'benefactor' for her to choose from. What she decides on will determine where the story heads in the future. For now...

 

 

The small open space near the turkeys and incisivosaurs has been converted into a mononykus exhibit.  It seems like a good place, and the scientists' information had me intrigued; they are classified as a desert creature, yet seem to enjoy a coniferous tree. 

 

The hopes I, personally, had when acquiring them were that their preferences would be for a biome not quite as an empty, sandy void like the oviraptors, for some visual variety in the exhibits. We all agreed this would be a good thing. More obvious variety in the small dinosaurs being showcased was always welcome.

 

 

Luckily for me, my hopes were realized. The exhibit was constructed.

 

 

More landscaping commenced, as tends to be the routine. Parts of the zoo seemed barren, even with the exhibits being charted out. We all concluded some guest entertainment would be much appreciated by them, so a dinosaur-themed golf course was created.

 

While we don't have any stegosauruses, or even any members of stegosauria at all, it turns out "Chirostenotes Golfing" doesn't roll off the tongue like "Stego-Putt," so we had to compromise.

 

 

A bit more construction for the future parkosaurus exhibit. We've had no extinct grasslands dinosaurs, so it seemed like a logical choice. It fills the decently-sized gap between the lepospondyl house (where we show some diplocauluses) and the nanosaurus/golf area.

 

 

Planting grass is a much cheaper endeavor than dealing with deciduous anything. Anyway, dinosaurs were put into the exhibit.

 

 

While I waited for them to hatch, I decided to grab a quick overhead photograph again to show off the zoo as it currently stands. At this moment, we were extremely close to finishing all of our exhibits. We had space for one more, and one more I will build. Once the parkosaurs are done with, obviously. I find it best to focus on one exhibit at a time, so that if anything comes up, it can be swiftly dealt with.

 

 

Hatching did not take long, only about a month. Sadly they cared little for the grasslands plant I had readily available, so I asked for some research to be conducted. My hope was to find something they would prefer.

 

For the time being, though, the exhibit was suitable, and could not be improved until research was finished. So the jeholosaurus area -- the final site to be constructed -- was made.

 

 

Scientists and eggs are ready for the final exhibit. I'm not sure what I'll end up doing once I pass the zoo on, but the journey has been more enjoyable than anticipated. Maybe more dinosaurs should involve fewer giant murder-machines. I mean, doesn't every zoo with dinosaurs try and put allosauruses in at some point, typically?

 

 

These dinosaurs took longer to hatch than anticipated, and to my surprise, they showed a fondness for rocks. Lots and lots of rocks. Of course, there are many rocks on planet Earth, and they aren't horribly difficult to get a hold of, but still. It came as a minor surprise.

 

While this exhibit was finished, research on ancient flora had finished, and we found something the parkosauruses may appreciate more than the modern-day flora currently growing throughout their exhibit.

 

 

My final self-appointed task was swapping out some of those broadleaf bushes for monkey puzzle trees. This was far superior in the eyes of the parkosaurs without a doubt; their behavior changed drastically for the better, and while they certainly were not discontent before, they were actually pleased now.

 

They also started breeding almost immediately, which seems like a very positive thing, I would say.

 

 

 

Well, the zoo is now out of my hands. Here are two final shots from above, showing off the whole zoo. I feel that the endeavor was, overall, successful. It's been five years, nearly six. The populations of all animals are growing. Animals are healthy and in good mood, and guests are also enjoying themselves. The park has a good reputation and 93 benefactors, the last time I checked. There is well over half a million in the bank.

 

At some point we also surpassed the hatching of the 100th turkey.

 

 

[Fern]

1 hour ago, cadaverine said:

The hopes I, personally, had when acquiring them were that their preferences would be for a biome not quite as an empty, sandy void like the oviraptors, for some visual variety in the exhibits. We all agreed this would be a good thing.

There are user made foliage you can put in exhibits that do not affect suitability. I would recommend this set for that and many environments.

For that lovely area near the cinema there are waterfall fences you can use to increase that water flow look. There are several to choose from on this page https://zootekphoenix.com/forums/files/category/31-fences-tunnels-bridges-walls/page/3/

What was the dino you used in there?

[Hawkkeye666]

19 hours ago, cadaverine said:

Hah, basically!

My good friend has been acting somewhat as the investor, in that i occasionally ask her if I can add something to the zoo that isn't technically part of the challenge and she decides what I get (and she makes vague requests for maps, ex. "rainforest"). it goes like this:

 

 

 

 

Were it possible, I've no doubt I would have been given pigeons. Are there pigeon mods? I fear the answer. It would make her too powerful.

I'll probably have her choose the next extinct theme, once this zoo is finished.

 

Now. to the zoo!

 

 

The protarchaeopteryxes are in their exhibit and sitting comfortably. We've taken to getting four animals automatically -- the dinosaurs are typically happier with more of their kind in the exhibit, at least these last few have been, and two isn't enough to sustain the population.  And we have the money to do so, now!

 

The other dinosaurs have been doing well. They're happy and generally healthy, and we have been experiencing fewer and fewer food shortage incidents. 

 

 

And here is the finished exhibit, with the protarchs freshly hatched and exploring their new exhibit. Construction began in December and finished quickly in January of the following year. I've found that my skills have improved with time. I'm able to arrange for exhibits to be constructed speedily once it comes time for such things. I do have a suspicion this has less to do with my skills and more to do with having a decent amount of money and much more limited space (so I need not guess where exhibits could go), but I'm calling that skill.

 

And, with the protarchaeopteryxes finished, I do believe that concludes all members of oviraptorosauria that we have access to.

 

 

While all the dinosaurs have been breeding and making more of themselves (the oviraptors typically being the most stubborn on that front), the chirostenotes have a very nice population. Shortly after finishing the protarch exhibit, they had more little dinos. These, and the incisivosaurs, are by far the most prolific breeders. Ignoring the modern members of aves, of course. We do not forget the turkeyocalypse so easily, lest we grow complacent.

 

 

This was our zoo at the start of March. It's time to head further east, since, well... that's a big empty space right there. And further south (out of range of this photo) is an empty area right by the entrance. Maybe it could be used for something..?

 

 

So, near the zoo entrance, a small nanosaurus enclosure was constructed. As is the new norm, four eggs and the basic terrain. You may notice that it's June. Those extra months were spent doing tasks typically considered more boring than dinosaurs, like planting trees around the park.

 

 

While I did say that the oviraptors are stubborn when it comes to breeding, they are still breeding. Here's a photo I grabbed of all of them together as I waited for those nanosaurs to hatch. It took them a while, but it seems that they're finally starting to breed. They only bred once we had four -- perhaps they needed those extra group members before they were interested in doing so? This behavior is part of the reason the "four eggs" mandate started.

 

 

I figured there was no reason to not check in on the dinosaurs while we waited. For a few months I've been busy arranging for greenery about the zoo, mostly only catching the occasional glimpse out of the corner of my eye.

 

The chirostenotes continue flourishing.

 

I was about to go drop by the protarchaeopteryxes, but suddenly realized that I was getting a bunch of notices from staff about the nanosaurs having just hatched. We should probably deal with that.

 

 

After awkwardly ignoring the animals for a little too long, the nanosaurs were understandably starting to get miffed.

 

An exhibit was quickly pieced together -- they were actually remarkably easy to please, as they were pretty happy with the basics (land, water) and I believe one tree. They obviously wanted more than one, so they got more, but they are perhaps the easiest dinosaurs to please we've had yet. Including the birds!

 

We constructed a movie theater, planted more plants, erected new fences, and created what will likely be the final layout of this particular zoo. Once it's finished, I'll be able to move on and continue my dream...

 

 

Here is where we're at as of October. The approximate areas of the final exhibits (of which there will likely be three) has been sorted, but not what will go in them. That will come soon; for now, I'll kick back and take a breather.

Just search my google drive for pigeon, dove, and Luzon bleeding heart. You´ll find plenty of pigeons to your friend´s liking.

She´s welcome.

[(Admin)Savannahjan]

This has been so very entertaining.  Thanks so much for sharing your fabulous zoo saga.  I'm looking forward to seeing more great projects from you.

[cadaverine]

15 hours ago, Fern said:

There are user made foliage you can put in exhibits that do not affect suitability. I would recommend this set for that and many environments.

For that lovely area near the cinema there are waterfall fences you can use to increase that water flow look. There are several to choose from on this page https://zootekphoenix.com/forums/files/category/31-fences-tunnels-bridges-walls/page/3/

What was the dino you used in there?

Ahh, thank you! I thought I had them but after looking in my files I guess not. I know I used those exact grasses to spruce up zt2 exhibits, lol. The waterfall fences are also v useful, ty ty <3

 

I'm unsure of the exact place you're referring to, so I labeled some screenshots :D The cinema here has an empty space behind it with some raised terrain:

 

 

While the golf course area has a narrow strip of water with nothing in it (ignore the fact that i reversed the parksosaurus text colors):

 

 

I'll go through and change some things before starting a new zoo, like using an invisible fence on that edge of the parksos exhibit since the rock wall in the middle of water looks silly. I also noticed that for whatever reason I've just stopped putting down the grasses I'd been using (RDingFT's, I think, off the top of my head) in the last 3-ish exhibits, so I'll toss some in there too.

 

4 hours ago, Hawkkeye666 said:

Just search my google drive for pigeon, dove, and Luzon bleeding heart. You´ll find plenty of pigeons to your friend´s liking.

She´s welcome.

 

Your google drive is a dangerous place. All those files... I could get lost in there, finding new downloads.

I'll definitely snag some of the birds for her. She adores those bleeding heart doves.

 

Your animals are fantastic, by the way.

 

10 minutes ago, Savannahjan said:

This has been so very entertaining.  Thanks so much for sharing your fabulous zoo saga.  I'm looking forward to seeing more great projects from you.

 

Thank you, and of course! It's been a lot of fun for me as well :)

[cadaverine]

Four exhibits have been spruced up!: mononykus, parksosaurus, jeholosaurus, and nanosaurus.

The rock walls on that one side of the parksosaurus exhibit has been removed to kind of blend it with the empty body of water neighboring it.

 

 

 

 

They look a lot nicer now. Especially the nanos and parksos.

 

I'll be heading onto the next zoo soon.

[cadaverine]

Let's go! :D

 

 

After the success of the last zoo, I had successfully proven my capabilities, and the fact that I could be definitely be trusted with more land and locations, if you ignored the brief oviraptor hiccup. Which was mostly ignored, hooray!

 

We were given a snowy, forested island full of sheer cliff faces and long drops (and $35k). We were told that this location was deemed perfect for a zoo, particularly extinct flight-capable creatures. This immediately made me think of any number of flying reptiles, even though extinct birds exist.

 

...How do people even get here? How did we get here? The path into the zoo is literally just a cliff jutting out into the ocean...

 

 

None of that is really important. I got rather excited, very quickly, at this idea. It took me only a few moments before I was throwing a quetzalcoatlus exhibit right into the center. This was very expensive, as one may have anticipated. The budgeting team was crying as once again promptly ate into most of our starting money, like I had with the first zoo, but I couldn't hear them. I was too enamored with my very expensive azhdarchids.

 

I personally decided to name them AM and HAL 9000, and nobody was able to stop me before that became their official names. I've been told that it was a "poor idea" and "some kind of ill omen." Sure, we had to fire the scientist shortly after hatching because money was low, but. Counter-point:

 

 

Those are wyverns.

 

The quetzalcoatlus exhibit had been completed by February. Everything considered, things were actually going pretty well.

 

 

It had only been a short few months and the quetzals were full-grown. The zoo had not yet seen a lot of decoration, somewhat unsurprisingly, I suppose. The entrance saw some attention, with a news stand added by the entrance, just like the last zoo. This contains updates on the zoo, recent paleontological discoveries, and of course a bunch of advertisements telling you that you should check out our mostly-oviraptorosaur zoo, you would love it and should totally do that.

 

The small food court area -- which may or may not be permanent -- has had a minor addition with some flowerbeds and appropriate pterosaur statues that are, unfortunately, hidden from most angles. But they're there. 

 

Another path has been added, preparing for an expansion westward.

The scientist has also been re-hired, to help us keep AM and HAL, well. Alive.

 

 

The second exhibit was planned out. There would be two in this region, but it was logical to only construct one at a time. At the end of this path would be a restaurant for guests, but as there were no exhibits and no reason for people to head this way --something that would not stop them from running to the edge of the empty path to stare into the snow -- one would not yet be built. Though, shortly after this photo was taken, I cordoned the area off and decorated it a little, since I assumed it wouldn't be too long before we had that area up and running.

 

This exhibit would, if all went according to our plan, host two tupandactyluses in the near future. It was June, and we only had one kind of pterosaur. I was getting a bit antsy. It wasn't a big deal though, really. I was slowly preparing an exhibit for the tupandactyls, which was not particularly eventful.

 

 

...Though not everything occurring in the park was boring. Surprisingly, the quetzals had laid an egg. Before anyone could say anything, I dubbed it Skynet. This was not a popular decision for some reason. I said that everyone was a party pooper and just didn't understand my beautiful and grand vision.

 

 

There was an immediate bankruptcy on account of pterosaur purchasing. I affirm I had nothing to do with this, and the overnight manifestation of two tupandactylus eggs in an empty exhibit set aside for them was merely a strange coincidence.

 

 

The start of November, while putting together the exhibit with what money I could scrounge up, had us suddenly gaining a sum of money from a generous mystery donator¹. With the exhibit finally constructed, the restaurant was added nearby. This proved wildly profitable, to my surprise. Obviously, that had been the point, but I had not anticipated nearly a thousand in immediate profit.

 

Most of the food court was kept, namely the pizzeria and the bathroom. With the addition of a restaurant, and seeing how very few guests liked buying soda at any price, and that building was oozing money, the drink stand was torn down. Reviews and questionnaires showed us that this action did not majorly impact average guest thirst.

 

 

By the start of the second year, the tupans had grown into adulthood, and the third exhibit was constructed. The exhibit currently sits empty; it's likely that this will be the nyctosaurus area.

 

This is planned to be an especially small zoo, even when compared to the previous, with only a handful of exhibits. But it still has a way to go before it becomes necessary to move on.

 

I think some entertainment and decoration for guests might be in order for the near future.

 

---------------

 

¹ I know where the money came from, but it baffles me a little. It was the award for having an animal in an exhibit of max suitability, yet I don't actually know what triggered it. I was busy outfitting the tupandactylus exhibit at the time with flora. They were still in the yellow, so it wasn't them, and I didn't touch the quetzal exhibit until after the award. The quetzals had 96-97 suitability at any given time, I'm guessing maybe on the amount of poop in an exhibit, but either way it varied a little. Is the trigger point for that award 98 or something?

 

Also, I really like that these zarawatto-made pterosaurs can "fly" (technically, swim) over water. That's a neat detail.

[Fern]

1 hour ago, cadaverine said:

At the end of this path would be a restaurant for guests, but as there were no exhibits and no reason for people to head this way --something that would not stop them from running to the edge of the empty path to stare into the snow -- one would not yet be built.

I would recommend using this fence to keep the guests where you want. It is a cheap fence at $1 a piece. It was created to plan exhibits out.

Here is a list of all the awards and what you get.

http://www.ztcdd.org/DD/index.php?topic=7159.0

Trigger points would vary depending on the award.

The site is an http so ignore any warnings you may get. There are no ads there.