The object of the challenge is simple: fully complete or fulfill to the fullest extent all 30 (really 31) mini-games as you can by 12/31/23. The person who has completed the most mini-games to the best of their ability by that date will be deemed the winner.
There is one major difference to how this challenge will operate in comparison to the 2022 NA challenge, that being that not all of the challenges are realistically completable. Some challenges, in fact, are entirely or in-part open-ended. I added this aspect intentionally, to avoid there ever being a hypothetical win due to someone completing all the challenges in full. I feel this is the best way to keep the game moving and to avoid unnecessary and/or unfriendly competitiveness due to there legitimately being a way to win the whole game before the end of the year. This is no knock on
@Coelacanth18 for the record, just an amendment based on my observations of how that game unfolded. The open-ended portions of challenges will be italicized.
Without further ado, the challenges themselves --
Disclaimer: Wherever you read "your continent", this refers to the continent you are currently playing in where you picked up species. If you visit multiple continents over the course of the year, then the rules you're adherent to are those of the continent you're currently in wherever you pick up a new species. This cannot be used as a loophole for challenge rules, however.
For example, if I see a fallow deer in a US zoo, then that animal counts as an exotic deer for the challenge. This species can no longer be counted as a native deer species should I visit Europe and see fallow deer there. Should I not see fallow deer in the US, visit Europe, and see fallow deer in Europe, then I can choose to count them as a native deer species, but I cannot then count them as an exotic species if I see them back in the US once I return home.
The Global Challenges: A Game in Review
2013: Penguimonium
See as many penguin species as you can!
2014: Fly the Coop
See the following Galliformes:
- Any 1 megapode species
- Any 2 Cracidae (curassows, guans, chachalacas)
- The Vulturine OR Crested Guineafowl
- Any 1 New World quail species
- Any 6 Phasianidae species (typical pheasants, Old World quails, peafowl, turkeys, grouse, spurfowl, partridges, etc.)
2015: We're Gonna Need a Bigger Trap
See 10
non-Muridae/Cricetidae rodents; meaning no "typical" mice/rats. The following are eligible for this challenge:
- Dormice
- Squirrels
- Porcupines
- Gundi
- Mole-Rats & Relatives
- Paca
- Cavies
- Agoutis
- Chinchillas
- Nutria & Hutias
- Degus
- Beavers
- Kangaroo-Rats
- Springhares
- African rats (Nesomyidae)
2016 (Part I): How Many Toes Am I Holding Up?
See 3 wild-type equid, 3 rhinoceros, and 3 tapir species. At least 1 equid has to be a non-zebra
2016 (Part II): Let That Ruminate
See the following ruminate ungulates:
- Any 3 pigs/peccaries
- The 2 hippos
- The Okapi + any 1 Giraffa sp. (I would really prefer non-hybrids where possible..)
- Any 2 deer species native to your continent (any 1 deer counts for Oceania)
- Any 2 deer species exotic to your continent (any 1 deer counts for Oceania)
- As many members of the family Bovidae as you can see!
2016 (Part III): Sea Shepherds
See any 2 cetacean species.
2017 (Part I): Check Your Feeders
See any 4 passerine species that are native to your continent.
2017 (Part II): Asian Songbird Challenge
See EITHER Golden White-Eye OR Javan Green-Magpie, AND at least 4 of the following species:
- Bali Myna
- White-Rumped Shama
- Oriental Magpie-Robin
- Asian Fairy-Bluebird
- Chestnut-Backed Thrush
- Sunda/Tricolor Parrotfinch
2017 (Part III): Thylo's Top 20
See any 8 of the following 20 of my chosen passerine species:
- Any bird-of-paradise species
- Hooded Pitta
- Any cock-of-the-rock species
- Siberian Rubythroat
- Golden-Breasted Starling
- Any laughingthrush species
- Chestnut-Backed Scimitar-Babbler
- Plush-Crested Jay
- White-Breasted Woodswallow
- African Long-Tailed Shrike
- Pin-Tailed Whydah
- Crested Oropendola
- Venezuelan Troupial
- White-Headed Buffalo-Waver
- Taveta Golden Weaver
- Red-Billed Blue-Magpie
- Snowy-Crowned Robin-Chat
- Any tanager species
- Any Corvus species
- Black-Naped Oriole
2018 (Part I): Small but Will Fight
See the following small carnivores:
- Any 2 mongoose species
- Any 5 small-sized cat species (no Pantherinae, no Cougar, no Cheetah)
- Any 2 fox species (including Bat-Eared Fox and the grey foxes)
- Any 1 red panda species
2018 (Part II): Pinni-Party
See any 2 pinniped species.
2018 (Part III): Carnivore Carnival
See any 6 of the following 12 unusual carnivore species:
- Binturong
- Fossa
- Aardwolf
- Cheetah
- Maned Wolf
- Sloth Bear
- Ring-Tailed Cacomistle
- Fisher/Pekan
- Ratel
- Giant Otter
- Sea Otter
- Walrus
2019 (Part I): See, Don't Touch
See as many poison dart frog (Dendrobatidae) species as you can!
2019 (Part II): River Giants
See any 1 giant salamander species (including Hellbender).
2020: Let's Give this Another Go
See as many monotreme and marsupial species as you can!
2021: Don't You Forget About Me
See the following oddball mammals:
- Any 4 bat species
- Any 1 treeshrew species
- Any 2 armadillo species
- Any 1 anteater species
- Any 1 sloth species
- Any 1 sea-cow species
- Any 2 elephant species
- Any 1 hyrax species
2022: Don't Turn On the Lights
See 10 species of ANY kind in a nocturnal exhibit. The exhibit does not have to be a full nocturnal house, any reverse-lighting or purposefully dim-lit exhibit counts. If you visit a nocturnal exhibit and the lights haven't been reversed yet, that still counts!
Homage to the Other Challengers
The following selection of games are inspired by some of the other non-global challenges ZooChat has held over the years, so those of you who couldn't participate in the fun then can now!
Native Species Challenge (based off NA 2021)
See all 5 assigned species native to your continent. No mix-matching for you international players.
- North America: Jaguar, American Barn Owl, Cayman Blue Iguana, Panamanian Golden Toad, American Paddlefish
- Europe: Moose/Elk, Northern Hawk-Owl, European Adder, Fire Salamander, Wels Catfish
- Australia: Platypus, Australian Magpie, Perentie, Australian Green Treefrog, Barramundi
- New Zealand: New Zealand Fur Seal, Blue Duck, Northland Green Gecko, Leiopelma sp., New Zealand Longfin Eel
- Asia: Asian Black Bear: Bali Myna, Burmese Python, Bornean Eared Frog, Asian Arowana
Embrace the ABCs Challenge (inspired--at least loosely--by
@FunkyGibbon's thread of the same name)
See all 18 of the common zoo animals in at least TWO different zoos:
- Bennett's Wallaby
- Any elephant (you can choose the species, but you have to stick with one)
- Ring-Tailed Lemur
- Western Lowland Gorilla
- Southern White Rhinoceros
- Meerkat
- Lion
- Tiger
- Asian Small-Clawed Otter
- Indian Peafowl
- African Penguin (Oceania substitute with blue/fairy penguins)
- Bald Eagle (Oceania substitute with Wedge-Tailed Eagle or New Zealand Falcon)
- Hyacinth Macaw (Oceania substitute with Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo or Kea)
- Green iguana sensu lato (Oceania substitute with Saltwater Crocodile or Tuatara)
- Pond Slider (any subspecies) (Oceania substitute with Macquarie Turtle or Leopard Tortoise)
- African Bullfrog (Oceania substitute with any 1 frog/toad)
- Sand Tiger Shark
- Madagascar hissing cockroach (any species)
You do not have to see all the species at one zoo, just each species at any two different zoos.
Second Chance Red List Challenge (based off NA 2020)
See any 4 species that are each IUCN vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered (12 species total), AND any 2 species that are extinct in the wild (4 species total). In the unlikely event that the IUCN updates a status after you entered an animal, stick with what it was when you saw it.
Island Hoppers Challenge (based off NA & EU 2019)
See animals that are endemic to single islands or island chains. The following are required:
- 5 mammals
- 6 birds
- 6 reptiles
- 3 amphibians
- 2 fishes
Mainland Australia will not be counted as an island.
Galapagos tortoises will count as one species for this.
I'm Hot Blooded (For Cold Blood) (based off NA 2018)
See the following reptiles:
- Any 4 monitor species
- Any 2 gecko species
- Any 1 Agamidae species
- Any 10 venomous snakes (please stick with Viperidae/Elapidae)
- Any 3 pythons
- Any 4 crocodiles/gharials (no alligators)
- As many turtles/tortoises as you can see!
Usborne's Scavenger Hunt Challenge (based off UK 2018)
See any 15 of the following 30 species from the Usborne Spotter's Guide wild animal checklist:
- Red Kangaroo
- Black-Tailed Prairie Dog
- Orangutan (either species)
- Squirrel monkey (any species)
- Indian Rhinoceros
- Pygmy Hippopotamus
- Reeves’s Muntjac
- Blue Wildebeest
- American Bison
- Markhor
- Clouded Leopard
- Dingo
- Polar Bear
- Giant Panda
- Cassowary (any species)
- North Island Brown Kiwi
- Hawaiian Goose
- Lady Amherst’s Pheasant
- King Penguin
- African crowned crane (either species)
- American Flamingo
- Spectacled Owl
- King Vulture
- Great Indian Hornbill
- Kookaburra (any species)
- Blue-and-Yellow Macaw
- Giant tortoise (Aldabra or any of the Galapagos)
- Common/Northern Boa (B. constrictor/imperator)
- Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
- American Alligator
The Rio Challenge (inspired by UK 2019 & EU 2022)
See any 8 species of parrot native to South America (defined as south of Panama and excluding the Caribbean). At least 1 species must be a non-macaw.
The Unbearable Challenge (based off UK 2012, the very first ZooChat challenge)
See all 8 bear species!
Hall of Champions
This section consists of one game, where I have gone back and asked each of the prior ZooChat Global Challenge Champions to pick one species/animal that they would like to everyone else to attempt to find. As a reward for their hard work and well-deserved wins, the Champions are exempt from this challenge, should they choose to play.
- 2013: @ThylacineAlive Aldabra Giant Tortoise (any tortoise species for Oceania)
- 2014: @TeaLovingDave Sand Cat (any quoll species for Oceania)
- 2015: @LaughingDove [unfortunately I could not get through to LD, who seems to have moved on from ZC. In his absence and honor, I will allow any African pigeon/dove to count]
- 2016: @devilfish Any bird-of-paradise species
- 2017: @Vision Long-Wattled Umbrellabird (Superb Lyrebird for Oceania)
- 2018: @Giant Eland Roan Antelope OR Sable Antelope
- 2019: @jayjds2 American Harpy Eagle (Wedge-Tailed Eagle for Oceania)
- 2020: @WhistlingKite24 Blue-Faced Honeyeater
- 2021: @twilighter Goodfellow's Tree-Kangaroo (Europe) OR Matschie's Tree-Kangaroo (NA) (any tree-kangaroo for Oceania)
- 2022: @twilighter Gaur (Europe) OR Banteng (NA & Oceania)
A very species congratulations to
@twilighter for being our only two-time champion as well!
I also want to give the man we have to thank for all of the challenges,
@Shorts, the opportunity to pick an animal he wants us all to see as a thank you for providing the forum with such a fun and long-lasting game for us to play:
Okapi
Cheers to Coelacanth
In this final section, I have chosen to select and modify two challenges from the NA 2022 Challenge as homage to the first of the ZC challenges to introduce this mini-game format--and because I like them.
“One-Zoo Wonder: complete one trial in a single zoo visit. Trials that require only seeing 1 species do not count.”
Now I understand this one may be a lot harder to complete this year than it was for the NA challenge last year, but it is doable. To hopefully make things a little easier, however, I am going to allow any challenges that have set criteria as well as being open-ended to be eligible for this challenge as long as all of the set criteria are met and at least one species that fits the open-ended category is seen all in a single zoo visit. Challenges that are entirely open-ended do not qualify for One-Zoo Wonder.
Additionally, I will allow people to fulfill this using a challenge completed retroactively. For example, if someone completes the Usborne’s Scavenger Hunt using multiple zoo visits, but then visits a zoo where they see all the necessary animals in one visit, they can retroactively use that to fulfill the One-Zoo Wonder.
“Bona Fide Rarity Hunter: see at least 3 species exhibited by only 1 zoo in the US and Canada (can only count 1 species per zoo)"
This one I’m going to edit a bit more, both since it’s hard and because naturally I’m not making everyone visit American zoos to win this.
I am changing the challenge to mean seeing 3 species exhibited by only 1 zoo within your continent, not globally. Again, you are not required to see 3 species exhibited by only 1 zoo each worldwide, just 3 species exhibited at only 1 zoo within the continent you’re participating in. If you visit multiple continents, this challenge will apply to whichever continent the zoo you’re visiting is based in. The one species per zoo rule will remain in effect so people can’t win it with one visit to their local native rescue center.
I’m also going to add a bonus to this challenge: see 1 species exhibited by only one zoo in the world. Since this challenge is particularly difficult, it is not going to be required to say you completed the Bona Fide Rarity Hunter challenge, but I would encourage everyone to still give it a shot! It may make the difference in any theoretical tiebreakers.
To make things a little easier, I am also limiting the definition of “only one zoo in the world” to apply only to the continents where members are participating from. For example, if nobody from South America joins the challenge, then any South American animal displayed at only one zoo outside of SA will fulfill this challenge, regardless of whether they are also kept in SA. If somebody from South America joins the challenge AFTER you have already completed this bonus, then your entry remains valid, but that species will no longer count for the rest of the game.
Bonus Challenge
Finally, I have also decided to add a single bonus challenge which I thought would be fun.
Thylo's Bonus Challenge
See at least one predator-prey exhibit setup at any zoo.
And that's the game folks! I hope I didn't make things too daunting.. I really tried to strike a good balance between challenge and what would be fun to play without being too annoying to keep track of.
I would like to, once again, thank
@ZooBinh,
@Coelacanth18,
@jayjds2,
@ShonenJake13,
@Vision,
@filipinos, and
@Shorts for working with me over these years to consistently bring exciting and innovative challenges to ZooChat!
I wish everyone the best of luck and, of course, a very Happy New Year!
~Thylo
