Top 5 even-toed ungulates that would have been a better choice than the nyala
Don't get me wrong; I like the nyala a fair bit, and I've had them in my zoos quite often. However, I feel that with the introduction of the nile lechwe, it feels rather pointless. The lechwe is also a swamp-dwelling antelope, with extremely distinct sexual dimorphism, and if I wanted a striped, more solitary antelope, I'd get the extremely similar bongo. So in the end, the nyala is just another antelope, whose only unique perk (for now) is being the only animal that starts with the letter N. Thus, here are five even-toed ungulate which I believe could take its place.
5- Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus):
Another antelope, yes, but it's Indian this time! Aside from its very distinct, horse-like frame and bluish colour, I feel the main appeal of this antelope is the fact that it could be kept along with Indian rhinos and water buffalos, further fleshing out your Indian savannah exhibits. We need more Asian antelopes, and I feel the nilgai would be a fantastic choice.
4- Collared peccary (Pecari tajacu):
Even though we already have two old world pig species, we have yet to see any peccaries in the game. As much as I'd like to include the endangered Chacoan peccary (Catagonus wagneri), I feel that the more common collared species is uniquely flexible in terms of how many habitats it could live in; from the Amazon rainforest to the deserts of North America and everything in between! South American grasslands and North American deserts don't have that many animals available, so I feel that this ungulate would be a great option.
3- Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia):
If there's one habitat Planet Zoo has really neglected, it's the world's mountains, with only around 4-5 species native to those places. The current mountain caprines are Arctic and temperate in latitude, so I feel that a warm-climate one would be a great inclusion. Enter the ubiquitous barbary sheep, vulnerable in its native North Africa, invasive in the USA and Mexico, and a classic in zoos worldwide. They can scratch our mountain caprine itch when making our zoo in a hotter climate, and I think they're distinct enough to make the list.
2- Pere David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus):
We already have three types of deer, but I feel that just one more would finish off the variety with a neat little bow; enter the Pere David's deer, an Asian wetland species which owes its very survival to zoos; what better animal to speak of the vital role that zoos have played? (other than ⅗ animals in the Conservation pack of course) Smaller than a moose, but larger than reindeer and fallow deer, this ungulate has enough of a distinct colour and body shape to stand out from the crowd, and it could be kept together with the beautiful red-crowned cranes to boot! Honorable mentions for this spot are the Reeves' muntjac and the Chinese water deer.
1- Shensi takin (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi):
The Himalayas, mother of all mountain chains, has received little to no attention from Frontier since the game's release. This region has so many interesting mountain ungulates to offer; Markhor, blue sheep, tahrs, Marco Polo sheep… but in the end, I went for the most distinctive mountain ungulate of them all. With its wildebeest-like build and beautiful golden fur, the Shensi takin gets the top spot on this list. Now your Himalayan zones will be more than just red pandas and snow leopards, with these fascinating caprines joining them in the heights of your thematic exhibit building!
these two are actually really great choices, so if I had to rearrange it...
