IUCN Red List Categories
The Conservation Status is a recurring concept in the Zoo Tycoon series. The classification used in game is mostly based on the best known worldwide conservation status ranking system, the IUCN Red List, and serves as an indication of how common or threatened each species is in real life. An animal's conservation status often has impacts on gameplay, with endangered animals being harder or more expensive to get, and the player being rewarded for breeding them in particular, or extinct animals exhibiting some particular mechanics.
In Zoo Tycoon[]
While Zoo Tycoon does not display conservation status directly, there is a research option for Endangered Animals, which unlocks the lowland gorilla, okapi, white Bengal tiger, black leopard, snow leopard, and giant panda. Notably, when one of these animals produces offspring, the player will be rewarded with a cash grant ($10,000 for most animals, and $50,000 for the Giant Panda) for breeding an endangered species. Likewise, the Endangered Species Zoo scenario focuses on breeding three of these animals.
All Dinosaur Digs animals are extinct, and feature some differences compared to extant animals. On their location map, their time period (Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous or Ice Age) is visible.
In addition, there are also five mythical and cryptid creatures like the yeti and unicorn which exist outside the purview of conservation and thus would not have an applicable status.
In Zoo Tycoon 2[]
In Zoo Tycoon 2, the conservation status mechanic was introduced with the Endangered Species expansion pack, with 4 categories. The Dino Danger Pack (and later Extinct Animals expansion) added a category for extinct animals, for a total of 5:
Such conservation statuses can be found in the animal adoption menu, as well as inside the Zoopedia.
1994 IUCN categories, with "Lower Risk" including cd (Conservation Dependant), nt (Near Threatened) and lc (Least Concern)
These categories are based on part of the IUCN Red List categories, with Lower Risk being a catch-all category for Least Concern, Near Threatened, and Conservation Dependent animals (used up to 2001).
Whenever a critically endangered, endangered, or extinct animal is born in the zoo, the player will be awarded a balloon bouquet.
Conservation Breeding Center
The Endangered Species Campaign revolves around caring for and breeding endangered (and critically endangered) animals. The Conservation Breeding Center, unlocked through this campaign, will help endangered and extinct animals breed more easily. Some Challenges also require the player to use endangered animals.
Animals in the Dino Danger Pack and Extinct Animals have the extinct status. These animals can be created from fossils at the Extinct Research Lab, they are usually more expensive than extant animals with the same fame requirement. They are also the only animals to not have their biome need completely satisfied in their primary biome, requiring special, biome enrichment items.
The only fictional animal in the game, the killer penguin, uses the extinct conservation status, presumably because of its relationship with the Extinct Research Lab. At its Zoopedia entry, it is stated as "Extinct (But still killer!)".
In Zoo Tycoon (Xbox)[]
Zoo Tycoon (Xbox) also features explicit conservation status categories, using the more modern system of IUCN categories. This includes splitting Near Threatened and Least Concern from Lower Risk, as well as implementation of Extinct in the Wild and Data Deficient categories.
Least Concern- Near Threatened
- Vulnerable
- Endangered
- Critically Endangered
- Extinct in the Wild
- Data Deficient
However, some animals like the Nubian giraffe and the eastern South American cougar use descriptions that don't fit in with the IUCN categories.
Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection also added a Domesticated status for the pack's llamas and alpacas.
Zoo Tycoon (Xbox) does not feature any Extinct or Not Evaluated animals, so the categories go unused.
In Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game[]
In Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game conservation statuses play an important role despite not being physically on any part of the game. There are five statuses in total in the base game.
Conservation statuses played an important role in the development of The Board Game in determining what animals would earn a player Conservation Points and what level the species would be. As such, the grey crowned crane, a Co-Species was cut from The Board Game because its IUCN endangerment status changed in late development, being replaced by the Fischer's lovebird.
Level 2 and 3 animals range from vulnerable to critically endangered, except for the near-threatened bearded vulture. These animals will earn players Conservation Points which are vital for players to win the game. Co-Species such as the dama gazelle and west Caucasian tur can also earn players Conservation Points.
A Conservation Center also makes a return in The Board Game. Players with a Conservation Center will be given one Conservation point per adjacent enclosure with at least one species with a Conservation Value in it, for a total of four conservation points overall. Additionally, if a player during the Arrival stage in the beginning of the game picks a Level 3 species, they will receive a free Conservation Center.