Planet Zoo: Console Edition

Animals in Planet Zoo can move around their environment in a number of ways, these include:

• Walking
• Jumping
• Wading (shallow water)
• Surface swimming (commences when too deep for wading)
• Wading (submerged)
• Climbing

The species of animal will dictate which of these locomotion types are possible.

For instance primates cannot swim, elephants cannot jump, hippos can wade submerged but don't swim, and so on. For an animal to be able to traverse an area it must be able to fit through it.

In Planet Zoo animals transition from infancy into adulthood and if looked after well will live to a healthy old age.

The lifespan of an animal is affected by:

• Genetics
• Overall welfare throughout the animal's life
• Illness
• Injury
• Starvation and Dehydration

If you keep your animal in optimal welfare, treat illnesses quickly and limit injuries, they will live longer. When an animal dies, ensure there is a keeper or vet present to take away the body, and don't forget to check the social welfare of cohabiting animals.

There are two ways an animal can become unwell in Planet Zoo.

Infection

The primary sources of infection are:

• Contagion from other sick animals in the same habitat.
• Dirty habitats caused by a buildup of dung, rotting food, corpses, guest food and dirty water.
• Feeding from the ground.

Quarantining newly adopted animals will help to block new diseases entering the zoo, as it gives vets a chance to detect and treat diseases before they are introduced into the wider population.

Animals in Planet Zoo have four core needs:

• Nutrition
• Social
• Habitat
• Enrichment

These combine to affect the animal's overall welfare.

Animals with higher welfare will live longer, are less prone to illness, attract more guests and generate more donations. Animals with lower welfare can become sick and, in the worst cases, can even die. Poor animal welfare can also attract Protesters to your zoo.

Before Adopting an Animal

Before adding a new animal to a habitat in the zoo, you will need the following:

• A habitat.
• A Trade Centre facility.
• A power source.
• A vet or caretaker.
• Some cash or conservation credits.

Once the Trade Centre is powered (and connected by path to the habitat's gate), you're ready to start adopting animals!

How to Adopt an Animal

To adopt an animal:

There are two kinds of animals in Planet Zoo. Each has its own trading area.

• Habitat animals – larger animals for example giant pandas and elephants.
• Exhibit animals – smaller animals such as the giant forest scorpion or Gila monster.

Mechanics maintain facilities to prevent them from breaking down, and can even repair a facility that has completely failed. Mechanics can do this as part of their normal patrol, but can also be summoned by using 'Call Mechanic' in the facility's info panel.

To ensure smooth performance as your zoos grow, Planet Zoo: Console Edition features a Zoo Complexity Meter.

The Zoo Complexity measures the total sum complexity of all elements in your zoo. This includes animals, habitats, scenery, facilities, paths, and lakes. If your zoo reaches 100% complexity, you will no longer be able to add any new elements and animal breeding will be disabled until your zoo's complexity is reduced.

Education items are used to provide education to the guests about specific animals.

Each education source (talks, boards, speakers and guides) can contribute towards the guest education for a single species. For a guest to feel fully educated, they need to receive education on multiple species. Species with higher levels of research contribute a greater amount to this.