Top 5 other primates that would have been a better choice than the black and white ruffed lemur
When Planet Zoo had its 1st year anniversary, and announced a free animal to be included in an update, I was hyped! And… it was basically a recolour of the red-ruffed lemur. Now, again I must admit that I've made quite a few exhibits with them, and I like having them around. And yet… I feel it could have been a bit more exciting. So, without further ado, here are 5 more primates that could have taken its place.
5- Northern white-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys):
Now, I'm definitely on the fence on this one, as it is extremely similar to the siamang. Then again, it lives in a much more northerly region of Southeast Asia, it's critically endangered rather than vulnerable and it has that beautiful sexual dimorphism, with golden females and black males with fuzzy blonde cheeks. I think having two species of gibbon isn't overkill, if you choose two very distinct species (the siamang is the most distinct gibbon, so that made it easy). The silvery gibbon is the runner-up for this spot.
4-... It's a tie! Javan lutung (Trachypithecus auratus) or Red-shanked douc (Pygathrix nemaeus)
The second langur species for Planet Zoo, along with the somewhat controverted proboscis monkey, should be either the Javan lutung or the red-shanked douc, in my opinion. Both are very visually appealing in their own right, and their chill demeanor leads to endless possibilities for multispecies habitats; just make sure they can stay out of reach of otters… o.o . There are tradeoffs though; the Javan lutung is more widely kept in captivity, while the red-shanked douc is two scales up the conservation level at critically endangered. Another langur worth considering is the grey langur of India, but I prefer these two myself.
3- Common squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus):
Another new world monkey, because we can never have enough of those! The red howler monkey was barely substituted by the ubiquitous common squirrel monkey, a staple for walkthrough exhibits in children's zoos. Although they aren't endangered, and animating such small rigs could be a challenge, I feel that these amusing little monkeys have more than enough charm and zoo presence to make it onto this list.
2- Coquerel's sifaka (Propithecus coquereli):
Frontier did have a point introducing the black and white ruffed lemur; this group of primates could be further expanded! However, I suggest going further with that, with new genera. After considering the blue-eyed black lemur and the greater bamboo lemur, I got into the Zoboomafoo spirit and chose the ever iconic Coquerel's sifaka. Though kept in very few zoological collections, I'd absolutely love to see these lemurs leap in the trees and climbing gyms and do that funny sideways skip on the ground. Plus, if Frontier added the horribly prickly Madagascan octopus tree to the mix, it would be absolutely perfect. But there is one far more impressive than even the sifaka…
1- Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis):
A symbol of animal protection in the face of cultural superstition, the aye-aye rivals the giant panda and koala in terms of how rare it is in captivity. And yet despite this, many people have grown to love this misfit among the prosimians. Thus I believe Planet Zoo should seriously consider adding the aye-aye to the game. Who knows, maybe with the released of the rumoured nocturnal pack, this endangered gremlin can finally get its much deserved spotlight. (Other than the Madagascar franchise of course…)
When Planet Zoo had its 1st year anniversary, and announced a free animal to be included in an update, I was hyped! And… it was basically a recolour of the red-ruffed lemur. Now, again I must admit that I've made quite a few exhibits with them, and I like having them around. And yet… I feel it could have been a bit more exciting. So, without further ado, here are 5 more primates that could have taken its place.
5- Northern white-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys):
Now, I'm definitely on the fence on this one, as it is extremely similar to the siamang. Then again, it lives in a much more northerly region of Southeast Asia, it's critically endangered rather than vulnerable and it has that beautiful sexual dimorphism, with golden females and black males with fuzzy blonde cheeks. I think having two species of gibbon isn't overkill, if you choose two very distinct species (the siamang is the most distinct gibbon, so that made it easy). The silvery gibbon is the runner-up for this spot.
4-... It's a tie! Javan lutung (Trachypithecus auratus) or Red-shanked douc (Pygathrix nemaeus)
The second langur species for Planet Zoo, along with the somewhat controverted proboscis monkey, should be either the Javan lutung or the red-shanked douc, in my opinion. Both are very visually appealing in their own right, and their chill demeanor leads to endless possibilities for multispecies habitats; just make sure they can stay out of reach of otters… o.o . There are tradeoffs though; the Javan lutung is more widely kept in captivity, while the red-shanked douc is two scales up the conservation level at critically endangered. Another langur worth considering is the grey langur of India, but I prefer these two myself.
3- Common squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus):
Another new world monkey, because we can never have enough of those! The red howler monkey was barely substituted by the ubiquitous common squirrel monkey, a staple for walkthrough exhibits in children's zoos. Although they aren't endangered, and animating such small rigs could be a challenge, I feel that these amusing little monkeys have more than enough charm and zoo presence to make it onto this list.
2- Coquerel's sifaka (Propithecus coquereli):
Frontier did have a point introducing the black and white ruffed lemur; this group of primates could be further expanded! However, I suggest going further with that, with new genera. After considering the blue-eyed black lemur and the greater bamboo lemur, I got into the Zoboomafoo spirit and chose the ever iconic Coquerel's sifaka. Though kept in very few zoological collections, I'd absolutely love to see these lemurs leap in the trees and climbing gyms and do that funny sideways skip on the ground. Plus, if Frontier added the horribly prickly Madagascan octopus tree to the mix, it would be absolutely perfect. But there is one far more impressive than even the sifaka…
1- Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis):
A symbol of animal protection in the face of cultural superstition, the aye-aye rivals the giant panda and koala in terms of how rare it is in captivity. And yet despite this, many people have grown to love this misfit among the prosimians. Thus I believe Planet Zoo should seriously consider adding the aye-aye to the game. Who knows, maybe with the released of the rumoured nocturnal pack, this endangered gremlin can finally get its much deserved spotlight. (Other than the Madagascar franchise of course…)