Your top 5 species that you want to put in your local zoo

For London Zoo, trying to be semi-realistic with species that I could see the zoo acquiring and placing within its current grounds without the necessity for expansion. Also with a small explanation of where I would put them in the zoo:

1. Formosan Pangolin - a species that ZSL work with in situ, and with Prague having finally broken through in breeding the species and Vienna set to acquire some soon, it could be plausible. The Clore would make sense, but to be honest, for such a rare species, I would like ZSL to really make a point of displaying them. A recurring dream I have had is that I visited London Zoo and, by surprise, saw pangolins displayed in the old Casson Elephant and Rhino Pavilion. I think that would be good; a lot of empty space in there to build extensive educational features and create a good enclosure with outdoor access.

2. Bird-of-paradise (any species) - Blackburn Pavilion is already my favourite zoo exhibit, and this would only further assert that. The main walkthrough would be best.

3. Hummingbird (any species) - again in Blackburn, but specifically in the smaller second walkthrough where they were once held. I am not sure how well hummingbirds mix with other species, so can't comment on if the others should move out, but either way I think this would still provide excellent accommodation for them.

4. Gharial - not sure if the Philippine Crocodile pool in SLoRA is big enough, so inspired by Prague, I would create a new pavilion, ideally on one of the empty lawns behind SLoRA so that, along with the Galápagos Tortoise house, the three would create a reptile zone of sorts in the heart of the zoo.

5. Sun Bear - I have long said which they would do well in Outback. A testament to the history of keeping bears on the Mappins, the smallest bear species (about the right size for a 1,500 sqm space) and Southeast Asian, again to combine with the nearby tigers, gibbons and babirusas to create a larger zone, this time S.E. Asian.
 
This is fun! For the sake of simplicity I'll just use Minnesota Zoo and not Como.

My first choice is really any great ape, but orangutans in particular. I don't care too much about species, though Como has Sumatran orangutans, so some variety might be nice. An orangutan expansion was planned roughly a decade ago IIRC, but it never materialized, nor did most things from that plan.

I'd love to see the Minnesota Zoo have any sort of permanent Africa section. Minnesota Zoo thrives on the business of suburban parents with young kids, and for that reason I think that giraffes would be a welcome addition, and one that the zoo has housed before. Giraffes might not be the most thrilling animal to see, but I think they're really neat, and the Minnesota Zoo could strongly benefit from some more ABC species in my opinion. On a much more unrealistic scale, I'd absolutely love to see some elephants in Minnesota, but this feels like a far less realistic goal.

Two more left. I'm gonna throw in the sloth bear. I like sloth bears, think they're fun, and would love to see more Indian animals. They're my best friend's favorite bear so I feel a bit obligated to throw them in lol. MN Zoo already keeps black bears and brown bears, and Como keeps polar bears... I'd like to see another variety, I guess.

Finally, I'm gonna say alligators. Proper big, huge gators. MN Zoo currently has West African dwarf crocs, but I wanna see some gigantic gators. Biiiiiiiig ol' gators. Because big lizards are cool.
 
I consider the St. Louis Zoo as my hometown zoo., I have no room for realism in my fantasies
so
1) giant panda
2) Prezewalski's gazelle
3) tamaraw
4) mountain nyala
5) California Condor
 
This seems fun! My home zoo is Belo Horizonte zoo, and here's my list:

5. Giant river otter - Most of the zoo's animal collection is composed of native species from my country, and due to it already being very well represented, there's not a lot of them that I would put at the moment. One of the exceptions would be the Giant river otters, since not only there isn't a lot of very active semi-aquatic animals at the zoo right now, and only a few places in Brazil have them, so their addition would be very welcome
4. Striped hyena - I'd love to see a large carnivore species at the zoo that isn't a big cat or reptile, and I think the Striped hyena would be a cool addition to change that. I am aware that they're a part of Feliformia, but their more "dog/wolf-like" appearance and size are more appealing to me than the other Hyena species.
3. Perentie - The zoo is lacking some lizard species at the moment, and since this list is already speculative, so why not put my favorite lizard species and one of my favorite animals here? Bring me more giant lizards!
2. Sun bear - Belo Horizonte zoo hasn't had bears for quite a while now, and I'd love to see my favorite bear species breaking this trend. Spectacled bears would also be a cool addition, but since they're the most common bear species in the country, why not bring a tropical bear species to a zoo that is in the middle of a tropical forest section?
1. Indian rhinoceros - Although the zoo has only kept Southern white rhinos before, and is the most likely to return if rhinos make a comeback (which I wouldn't mind at all), I think the Indian rhinoceros would be much more exciting. There's only a single zoo on Brazil keeps this species, so seeing my favorite rhino species being kept in my home zoo would be very nice.
 
My top 5 species wishlist for Detroit Zoo:
  • Snow leopard — the zoo could really use a third species of cat and I think this would probably be the easiest to obtain. Helping matters is the fact that the Detroit Zoological Society has helped with snow leopard research in Asia, so there would be a solid connection to the zoo’s conservation efforts.
  • Meerkat — as these are among my favorite animals I sorely miss having them at the zoo. I think the former Meerkat Digs (converted to house a sloth and later fruit bats) could probably be re-adjusted for the needs of these mongooses without too much hassle. Alternatively, they could co-habitate with the aardvarks and could probably bring a lot of life to that enclosure.
  • Pygmy hippopotamus — I think the old common hippopotamus habitat, which has at times been combined with the aardvark habitat and currently houses American white pelicans, could house pygmy hippos with some minor adjustments. I think the space would probably be better suited for them than for their much larger cousins that used to live in it.
  • Geoffrey’s spider monkey — the complete absence of New World monkeys from Detroit is pretty glaring. I would suggest an island habitat for these to be constructed on the current site of one of the excessive picnic areas you can find along the central “spine” of the zoo.
  • Takin — in my opinion the zoo could use more Asian hoofstock and I think this would be a species well-suited to the Michigan climate. The zoo actually formerly had these and mixed them with the camels; if they were to re-acquire them, they could either go there again, or have a new, dedicated habitat constructed for them in Asian Forest.
 
Detroit Zoo:

5. Emperor Penguin-
Somewhat plausible, with sea world possibly closing Penguin encounter I am hoping they come to their senses and give them to the best Penguin exhibit in the world, and I wouldn’t mind adelies too :p

4. Porcupine Species-
The zoo is severely lacking rodents, and it would hurt to see another. I would probably favor the Brazilian or Cape the most, but the North American could also work. The cape porcupine could go in with the pelicans, the North American Porcupine could go in the former prairie dog habitat (big renovation) or a new one along Arctic Ring of Life. Brazilian Porcupines would be best is Discovery Trails, maybe as an ambassador species. (I am not saying all 3 are needed but just 1/3)

3. Pronghorn-
The zoo is barely has any North American representation. I would love to see the return of pronghorns at the zoo in the bison habitat. A big breeding herd would be amazing to see.

2. African Wild Dog-
The zoo formerly housed them near to the warthog habitat. I would love to see these energetic canids to take over the warthog habitat and the zebras, wildebeest, and warthogs move to the eland habitat. They are doing decent in the ssp and I’d love to see another midwestern zoo to acquire this species. I also think the lions could take over the zebra habitat with a major remodel.

1. Orangutan-
Why not have a full great ape collection? This species is heavily likely to come with our new director and could come with an Asia renovation. They could go in where the event space is or the picnic site.
 
My thoughts for Marwell.

1 Red Squirrel - The zoo has already announced a UK Native Species zone. I think this would be the most popular and charismatic species that could be included.

2 Iberian Lynx - The zoo's clouded leopards recently passed away leaving just 3 cat species (Amur tiger, snow leopard and serval). Despite not being well known, the clouded leopards were a popular exhibit due to their striking look. Why not try another lesser known feline with distinctive markings.

3 Giant Otter - As the collection has no definitely turned the corner on an extended period of decline, there are two very prominent locations in the zoo that used to be exhibits. The pond as you enter and the former macaque island. Either of those could be adapted into a giant otter exhibit. A species that could be an unexpected crowd pleaser.

4 Gemsbok - Marwell has always had a strong association with Oryx and for a long time the zoo's logo featured one. They do hold scimitar-horned, Arabian and East African oryx (the only UK holder of the latter two). Gemsbok are also only currently held by one UK zoo, Whipsnade, so I am sure they could do with more holders. Why not complete the set?

5 Elephants, either species - I am allowing myself one fantasy option, although the fantasy aspect is purely on financial grounds rather than practicality. The former African valley is today used as a giant 22 acre paddock for Przewalski's horses. The two major problems the enclosure has is no animal housing of its own (the horses also have an adjacent paddock for housing) and that viewing is only possible from the outdoor seating area for the zoo's restaurant. Turn this into an elephant exhibit. Build a new restaurant elsewhere, convert this one into an elephant visitor's centre. Build indoor housing for the elephants that is connected to the visitor's centre. Include rooftop viewing in the construction.
 
I have done Colchester Zoo (for now - I visit ZSL London so much now that it is probably my second most-visited zoo, so I will do that in the very near-future). I have also tried to be semi-realistic, without having to expand too much beyond what is currently available at the zoo - although the fifth and most out there option would be dependent upon the masterplan coming into effect.

1. Great green macaw - Macaws are, in my opinion, by far and away the most charismatic animal group missing from Colchester Zoo. I would convert the old bear dens, between the squirrel monkeys and the penguins, into three large aviaries that would house breeding pairs of threatened macaws – while great green would be my favoured centrepiece species, I would also choose the blue-throated macaw and golden conure (which is a close relative to the macaws). Their aviaries could potentially also have some ground-based birds or small mammals running around on the ground level.

2. Naked mole-rat - A major group of mammals that could do with more representation are the rodents, with only two domesticated species currently being kept. I would move the last of the pancake tortoises and plated lizards (preferably to a new display elsewhere in the Kingdom of the Wild house, on the site of the cacti display) with a three-sided viewing area for a large colony of these rodents.

3. A chameleon (any species) - I did consider including a venomous snake, which have been absent since at least 1986. However, chameleons are an equally charismatic missing reptile that does not have the huge cost of antivenom storage associated with them. I would replace the blue-tongued skink in Kingdom of the Wild with any appropriate chameleon species. Either veiled (which is Afrotropical, albeit not from the African continent) or panther chameleon seem that they would fit the space best.

4. Chestnut-backed thrush - Adding more birds should be a priority, especially for Feathers of the Forest that currently only houses crowned pigeons and crested partridges. While it is not big enough for a huge variety of birds, I think a single passerine species should be possible. I would choose this species for its bold patterning, beautiful song and the fact it is part of a managed breeding programme.

5. Antillean manatee - As I say, this is the most out there option. If the masterplan went ahead, the orangutans would be getting a new enclosure on the site of the wolves and bird of prey aviaries. I would therefore replace the indoor and outdoor sections of the current Rajang's Forest exhibit with a single large building that would be sufficiently large to house a group of manatees. With some additional marine and coastal species from the Caribbean region, this would be a real show-stopper addition to what is a pretty cohesive tropical American / aquatic-themed area.

Those are just some potential options among many – some other ideas I had included:
  • Prevost's squirrels in the surplus gibbon indoor area in the Rivers Edge building
  • Putting some token living fossil species example in the model dinosaur area (maybe axolotls)
  • Adding additional species to create some mixed exhibits (a passerine with the Komodo dragons, Palawan peacock-pheasants with the rufous hornbills or Brazilian guinea pigs in any of the callitrichid displays or Iguana Forest)
  • Replacing the rock hyraxes on the Inca Trail with a South American small cat such as margay
  • More extreme, turning the koi and lorikeet building into either an invertebrate house (with the lorikeet section turned into a butterfly walkthrough), a nocturnal house or an African-themed aquarium to tie in with the other buildings in the row
 
For my nearest zoo, the Lake District Wildlife Park in the North of England:

1. Chickens - This zoo already has a lot of Domestics, namely pigs, alpacas, donkeys, sheep and goats, many of which you can hand feed with little bags of feed you can buy from reception. Chickens would be a lovely addition to this, though they perhaps couldn't be free-ranging in case one of the zoo's birds of prey kills a chicken during the daily flight display. Then again, until recently the zoo kept guinea pigs in a roofless enclosure with no issues (that I know of), so it might be OK?

2. Red Kangaroos - I mostly say this because I looked on Zootierliste and it turns out not many zoos in the UK actually have either grey or red kangaroos these days, and reds are my favourite of the two species. The zoo even has a big empty paddock they don't currently use for anything that could feasibly be developed into a kangaroo and/or wallaby walkthrough.

3. Reindeer - Again, they already have a lot of Domestics, but reindeer are unique enough to shake that up a little bit and provide something a bit more interesting that you wouldn't typically see on a farm.

4. Capybaras - This is mostly personal bias because it's my favourite animal, but also the zoo used to have one capybara named Duke, who lived in the same paddock as their rhea. Duke died a while ago, and I've been hoping they would get more for a long time now.

5. African Dwarf Crocodiles - This one is definitely wishful thinking on my part, because the size and quality of the reptile house has decreased a lot over the years, two thirds of it has been a blocked off construction site for more than a year now. With all of that said, there is room in the building for a decently-sized enclosure for a small crocodilian, and the African dwarf crocodile would be perfect for the space.
 
For Chester Zoo:

5: Honey badger
4:Black Howler Monkey
3: Iberian Lynx
2: Harpy Eagle
1: Hippopotamus

4, 2 and 1 might/probably be added in the upcoming rainforest zone.
3 is predicted to come in the announced European section
5 probably won't come but fingers crossed
 
This is fun! I’ll go back to the well of the Aquarium of the Pacific for my answer, and I’m of course a big elasmobranch guy so they’ll all be of that variety. :D

My vision of a new Shark Lagoon would be an Australia-themed system, so most of my suggestions here will be in keeping with that concept:

1. Bronze whaler/copper shark (Carcharhinus brachyurus): AOP already features gray and blacktip reef sharks, and a much larger, deeper exhibit would have room for them as well as a bronze whaler to serve as a representation of a semi-pelagic, deep reef migratory predator. We also have this species locally in California so it fits a few different ways.

2. Largetooth sawfish (Pristis pristis): In the original lagoon, one of the most famous and iconic elasmobranchs featured was the sawfish, a female largetooth whose time at AOP was rather tumultuous (she famously had a growth removed from her rostrum that required a revolutionary surgery by the veterinary team). She unfortunately outgrew the tank and was transferred; this is a perfect opportunity to return one to the facility.

3. Wobbegong shark (Orectolobus sp.): An Australian exhibit really just isn’t complete without a wobbegong! I’d say any of the major species would do as almost all of them are native to Australian waters, but I’d say a spotted or ornate would be the most likely. A western (O. hutchinsi) would be nice as they’re not present in American aquaria so far as I know.

4. Giant shovelnose ray (Glaucostegus typus): This species is growing more and more common in American aquaria as some institutions have had a strong breeding program for them of late, and they’re an Australian staple. AOP actually did have one at the opening of Shark Lagoon, but they have not returned since. A large guitarfish or wedgefish would be perfect here.

And one other species (or more accurately genus) that I’d just love to see in the facility regardless of its specific exhibit placement:

5. Sharpnose shark (Rhizoprionodon sp.): This genus of small sharks is underrepresented in aquaria but has been known to be fairly hardy in captivity in the past. They could potentially fit in the AOP exhibitry in multiple ways. The Pacific sharpnose (R. longurio) is native to California waters, and the Australian variety (R. taylori) could fit in a smaller tank leading up to a big centerpiece of the renovated Shark Lagoon.
 
TheGrowlingTiger said:
What top 5 species do you want to put in your local zoo:
My local zoo is Ragunan Zoo.

5: Wattled Brushturkey
4: Sulawesi Bear Cuscus
3: Sumatran Serow
2: Pagai Island Macaque
1: Okapi
Click to expand...
Ragunan already previously had the cuscus (1973) and the serow (1993). I would love to see them return to Ragunan some day.

I have two local zoos, technicaly, as my hometown is in Jakarta but I live in Yogyakarta for now. My list for those two zoos are and reasonings for (Being realistic);

Gembira Loka Zoo (Yogyakarta)
  • Dwarf crocodile - Something to fill up the Reptile & Amphibian Park (Which has another exhibit for saltwater crocodile and false gharial, which the zoo already have one newer exhibit). Gembira Loka have good connections with institutions both locally and internationaly, I'm sure they'd be able to work it out.
  • Bengal tiger (Pure) - It depends if Gembira Loka managed to deal with zoos in Sri Lanka or India. But, Gembira Loka have had history of importing certain (sub)species from their native range (Ex. Lesser flamingo from Tanzania in 2013-2014).
  • Booted macaque - Something to replace the siamang in the Primate Zone (Which the zoo already have a decent island exhibit for the siamang). Surabaya Zoo have this species (In a group with the moor macaque), maybe they can work a deal.
  • Brown lory - A species available in Indonesian breeding facilities for Gembira Loka Zoo to get, not to mention the zoo rather large lory collection.
  • Javan green magpie - A very interesting species that have been breed in various institutions (Including in Taman Safari Bogor and Cikananga Wildlife Center). I would like to see Gembira Loka to do a project of their own.
Ragunan Zoo (Jakarta)
  • Ursine tree kangaroo - A pair exist in the Biak Bird Park. If breedings are succesful, I would love to see one sent to Ragunan (Which they have history of a very noteworthy and diverse native species collection)
  • Common spotted cuscus - They've been kept in multiple facilities for a long time, making them one of the more widespread cuscus species seen in Indonesian zoos. It's not far fetched to see Ragunan getting a hand on this species if they're interested.
  • Sumba hornbill - Attributed to the zoo's history of keeping various native birds from Aceh to Papua, Ragunan have history in keeping and getting rarer birds.
  • Javan small-toothed palm civet - A underrated subspecies within an already underrated group of carnivoras. Ragunan should've contribute in giving awareness of the harm of exotic pet keeping to native faunas, including this subspecies.
  • Bay cat - A very unlikely addition, but I put them on my list to put a emphasis on Ragunan's focus on native fauna. Taman Safari Bogor only had them I think for a couple of years (2017-2018), so while Ragunan might get a hand of one somehow, I wouldn't think they survive for long.
 
Cleveland -
  1. Polar Bear. Easily the most "long shot" animal on this list. The zoo has expansion land behind wilderness trek I believe, so they could expand outward for a new bear exhibit.
  2. Pygmy Hippo. There's an entire unused picnic area next to the Rhino reserve that they've had slated for exhibits a few times.
  3. Pallas' Cat. I think they could easily be worked into the more Asian central spine of wilderness trek. Maybe even giving the smaller cub yard of Asian Highlands to the Pallas'
  4. Komodo Dragon. Not 100% sure where they would go to be honest. Maybe turn some of the unused land in Australia into an Oceania subsection?
  5. Sun Bear. Add to Susie's bear hollow to rotate with the Andean and Sloth bears. Probably just as "long shot" as the Polar bear, but it was all I could think of.
Akron-
  1. American Black Bear. Add to Grizzly Ridge to rotate with the grizzlies, since they were cut from the land during development.
  2. Any small langur or primate. Just going off of Akron's lack of primate species.
  3. Sloth Bear. There's plenty of hillside room next to Wild Asia, plus the frontier village area.
  4. Mandrill. Possibly a future Africa Phase?
  5. Any reptile species. Going off Akron's lack of reptiles aside from the Komdo Dragon and cave snake
 
I would love to see Clouded Leopards at Perth Clouded Leopards will fit in so well in the current Javan Gibbon exhibit near the red pandas since the Javan Gibbons are the likely ones to be moved to the Primate crossing.
 
As promised, these would be my top five for ZSL London - the first four are all, I would say, more or less doable. The fifth one is a more out-there option, not because it would not fit into the zoo, but because I don't think they have been kept in captivity before. Still, I think they would be interesting enough to warrant an attempt to establish them.

1. Saharan striped polecat - The treeshrew in Nightlife is too diurnal for such a display, and seems to be almost impossible to see. I would elect to replace it with a display housing a pair of these small mustelids. They are becoming more prevalent in Europe, and they would also warrant the addition of a desert-themed enclosure, which is something lacking in Nightlife. The fact that it is two separate exhibits means that they can be separated in the event of a successful birth.

2. A rare marsupial - I often think about what could replace the dead-end species at London; the invasive species that cannot be bred. In the case of the coatis at Animal Adventure, I think their enclosure is sufficiently large for some sort of marsupial. My favoured options would either be using both enclosures to house Tasmanian devils, using them both for quokkas, or using just the larger enclosure for quokka, with the smaller enclosure for another species such as brush-tailed bettong or long-nosed potoroo.

3. Kagu - This is a bird species I would love to see at London – they are very attractive, have a breeding programme and rank at number 5 on the EDGE list for birds. Finding a place to put it is more of a challenge – I do not know how suitable they would be for a walkthrough or mixed aviary such as the ones at the Blackburn Pavilion. I would perhaps consider putting them in one of the larger aviaries around the back of the gorillas, and would probably end up replacing the woolly-necked storks. Maybe, with some changes to the cage, some horned parakeets could be added there as well to make a nice New Caledonian mixed exhibit.

4. Striped hyaena - I would personally replace the African painted dogs with a breeding pair of these hyaenas. They would be the only ones in the UK, are a surprisingly beautiful animal and also need all the good press they can get – keeping a pair in an attractive enclosure in a well-visited zoo would probably do more good for the species in question than having more painted dogs.

5. Fried eggs earthworm, Archipheretima middletoni - Tiny Giants is one of my favourite zoo exhibits anywhere, and I could think of lots of species to add. To engage in fantasy, I would love to see London try and establish a breeding programme for this species. In addition to breeding them off-show, I would replace the old Bali starling aviary in the building (in the outer corner of the walkway, between the silkworm tank and the alcove for Fregate Island beetles) with a climate-controlled tank for these worms.
I think these could make a fantastic exhibit – they are nearly a foot in length, are diurnal, have indigo skin studded with white-and-yellow spots that resemble fried eggs, live on the surface of the soil and climb trees. While they are not listed by the IUCN, the Philippine montane forest they inhabit has shrunk by 90% in recent years. They would bridge the gap between the sections about the benefits of invertebrates (everyone knows how important worms are to the soil) and about invertebrate conservation.

Some other options I thought of, many of which involve either shifting or sometimes replacing existing species:
  • Replacing the Outback exhibit with an enclosure for a large pack of dholes
  • Returning giant anteaters to the zoo, in their former enclosure outside Tiny Giants
  • For Tiny Giants itself, some additions could include - replacing the non-functional Micrarium with a tank for Barbados brown velvet worms, turning the deathwatch beetle display into a tank for a colony of a paper wasp species and replacing the jungle products tank next to the vampire crabs with a display for shore earwigs, to represent ZSL’s doomed effort to start a captive breeding programme for the now-extinct St Helena giant earwig
  • Adding yellow-spotted bush hyraxes and white-cheeked turacos to the Monkey Valley walkthrough
  • Adding tropical mockingbirds to the Galapagos tortoise enclosure, as a stand-in for the endemic Galapagos mockingbirds
  • Adding long-eared hedgehogs to at least one of the connected grey slender loris enclosures in Nightlife
  • Replacing the empty tenrec enclosure in Nightlife with a display for Etruscan shrews
  • Shift the tambraparni barbs in Rainforest Life to mix with the Philippine crocodile, replace them with the emerald tree boas from SLORA and, in turn, replace their tank with a mixed dry forest-themed tank home to Peruvian bush anoles and Maranon poison-dart frogs
  • Turn the roundhouse into a mixed enclosure for rodents, similar to the one (formerly?) at Munich, housing variegated squirrels, Desmarest's hutia and Azara's agouti
  • As for the Casson, I would love to see it turned into a display about the EDGE programme, with more smaller animals kept inside, and perhaps also replacing the red river hogs with more threatened EDGE species. I would definitely approve of @Kalaw's suggestion of pangolins, and would also love to see Western long-beaked echidnas included - being the literal symbol of EDGE and due to be subject to an EEP
 
The closest zoo to me is tiny little Greenville Zoo, so that's what I'll work with. I'm going to attempt to be realistic based on what is readily available within smaller AZA zoos, and the limited space the zoo has to work with. I'm also going to ignore the zoo's recently announced expansion plans.

1. Serval. The zoo has put a lot of effort into redoing their small Africa section, which currently contains a mere five species: Masai giraffe, cape porcupine, Aldabra giant tortoise, bat-eared fox, and Ruppell's vulture. Up until last year, lions were also a longtime fixture here, but their exhibit was woefully undersized... and in fact it looks like it still is after its recent expansions that neither of the zoo's previous lions got to live to see. I would much, much rather see this space turn into a strong exhibit for a smaller cat instead of another cramped one for a species that is already visible at the next closest zoo, Riverbanks. Caracals would be a perfectly suitable alternative, but I think servals are a bit more striking.
2. Rock hyrax. Sticking with the Africa plaza a bit longer, we have a plot of land that's ripe for reuse where the tortoises lived prior to moving into a new exhibit with the recently added porcupines. It's not a huge amount of space, so I need to limit myself to a smaller species, and I think these guys would be a really fun addition if given a nice rocky space to gallivant about. Plus with their recent memetic popularity, they might be of particular public interest. My runner-up choice would be banded mongoose - Riverbanks already has meerkats covered, though, so I figured I'd go with something completely different.
3. Capybara. From one meme animal to another, these guys would obviously slot into the greater rhea exhibit to pick up the slack left after their giant anteater was transferred out last year. The original plans for that exhibit called for maras to live with the anteater and rheas, but for unknown reasons that didn't come to pass. I think with a bit of renovation to add some more water area, their larger cousins be a great fit here. The exhibit also currently features a pair of southern screamers, but in my ideal vision they'd move back to the lagoon with the Chilean flamingos.
4. Black swan. Alongside the screamers and flamingos, this would finish recreating the wonderful lagoon setup they had prior to losing their only swan a few years ago. The pink, gray, and black of three birds that were simultaneously so similar yet so different really made for an enjoyable exhibit. Let's bring it back.
5. Prevost's squirrel. Another former species for the zoo, but this one's been gone for a little bit longer. Again, this would take advantage of some recent rearrangements - with the siamangs gone, their former exhibit has been taken over by the Eurasian eagle owl. This works pretty well, I think! That was always a ghastly exhibit for siamangs, but it has some nice verticality and plenty of room for branches for the owl. That leaves the owl's former exhibit open, so let's add these energetic and colorful little guys back. I initially considered saying binturong for this one, but I don't think a more sedentary and nocturnal species is the right call for such an exhibit. Bonus points if they can add a pheasant species or something alongside the squirrel.

I don't ask for much, clearly. But I think just a few little guys would go a long way for this zoo.
 
DesertRhino150 said:
As promised, these would be my top five for ZSL London - the first four are all, I would say, more or less doable. The fifth one is a more out-there option, not because it would not fit into the zoo, but because I don't think they have been kept in captivity before. Still, I think they would be interesting enough to warrant an attempt to establish them.

1. Saharan striped polecat - The treeshrew in Nightlife is too diurnal for such a display, and seems to be almost impossible to see. I would elect to replace it with a display housing a pair of these small mustelids. They are becoming more prevalent in Europe, and they would also warrant the addition of a desert-themed enclosure, which is something lacking in Nightlife. The fact that it is two separate exhibits means that they can be separated in the event of a successful birth.

2. A rare marsupial - I often think about what could replace the dead-end species at London; the invasive species that cannot be bred. In the case of the coatis at Animal Adventure, I think their enclosure is sufficiently large for some sort of marsupial. My favoured options would either be using both enclosures to house Tasmanian devils, using them both for quokkas, or using just the larger enclosure for quokka, with the smaller enclosure for another species such as brush-tailed bettong or long-nosed potoroo.

3. Kagu - This is a bird species I would love to see at London – they are very attractive, have a breeding programme and rank at number 5 on the EDGE list for birds. Finding a place to put it is more of a challenge – I do not know how suitable they would be for a walkthrough or mixed aviary such as the ones at the Blackburn Pavilion. I would perhaps consider putting them in one of the larger aviaries around the back of the gorillas, and would probably end up replacing the woolly-necked storks. Maybe, with some changes to the cage, some horned parakeets could be added there as well to make a nice New Caledonian mixed exhibit.

4. Striped hyaena - I would personally replace the African painted dogs with a breeding pair of these hyaenas. They would be the only ones in the UK, are a surprisingly beautiful animal and also need all the good press they can get – keeping a pair in an attractive enclosure in a well-visited zoo would probably do more good for the species in question than having more painted dogs.

5. Fried eggs earthworm, Archipheretima middletoni - Tiny Giants is one of my favourite zoo exhibits anywhere, and I could think of lots of species to add. To engage in fantasy, I would love to see London try and establish a breeding programme for this species. In addition to breeding them off-show, I would replace the old Bali starling aviary in the building (in the outer corner of the walkway, between the silkworm tank and the alcove for Fregate Island beetles) with a climate-controlled tank for these worms.
I think these could make a fantastic exhibit – they are nearly a foot in length, are diurnal, have indigo skin studded with white-and-yellow spots that resemble fried eggs, live on the surface of the soil and climb trees. While they are not listed by the IUCN, the Philippine montane forest they inhabit has shrunk by 90% in recent years. They would bridge the gap between the sections about the benefits of invertebrates (everyone knows how important worms are to the soil) and about invertebrate conservation.

Some other options I thought of, many of which involve either shifting or sometimes replacing existing species:
  • Replacing the Outback exhibit with an enclosure for a large pack of dholes
  • Returning giant anteaters to the zoo, in their former enclosure outside Tiny Giants
  • For Tiny Giants itself, some additions could include - replacing the non-functional Micrarium with a tank for Barbados brown velvet worms, turning the deathwatch beetle display into a tank for a colony of a paper wasp species and replacing the jungle products tank next to the vampire crabs with a display for shore earwigs, to represent ZSL’s doomed effort to start a captive breeding programme for the now-extinct St Helena giant earwig
  • Adding yellow-spotted bush hyraxes and white-cheeked turacos to the Monkey Valley walkthrough
  • Adding tropical mockingbirds to the Galapagos tortoise enclosure, as a stand-in for the endemic Galapagos mockingbirds
  • Adding long-eared hedgehogs to at least one of the connected grey slender loris enclosures in Nightlife
  • Replacing the empty tenrec enclosure in Nightlife with a display for Etruscan shrews
  • Shift the tambraparni barbs in Rainforest Life to mix with the Philippine crocodile, replace them with the emerald tree boas from SLORA and, in turn, replace their tank with a mixed dry forest-themed tank home to Peruvian bush anoles and Maranon poison-dart frogs
  • Turn the roundhouse into a mixed enclosure for rodents, similar to the one (formerly?) at Munich, housing variegated squirrels, Desmarest's hutia and Azara's agouti
  • As for the Casson, I would love to see it turned into a display about the EDGE programme, with more smaller animals kept inside, and perhaps also replacing the red river hogs with more threatened EDGE species. I would definitely approve of @Kalaw's suggestion of pangolins, and would also love to see Western long-beaked echidnas included - being the literal symbol of EDGE and due to be subject to an EEP
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Some great ideas on there, I would especially love to see a Giant Earthworm species in captivity. Maybe I would replace the Marañón Dart Frogs for an Atelopus species however :)
 
Now my home zoo is the Los Angeles Zoo and I am aware (based of the discussions) things are a little ruff in terms of master plan building so I want to make a theoretical and current realism list. So here I go:
1. Lion (Panthera leo): I know I'm not the only one who misses lions at the zoo. For sure would want an updated exhibit.
2. Magellanic Penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus): Alright I know this is a personal bias pick since penguins are my favorite animals (not the first time wanting penguins in LA :p). There technically is an open exhibit (former pinniped exhibit near the LAIR) or even Sea Life Cliffs if the zoo decides to phase out the seals (which is definitely unlikely). There are also few available providers such as SeaWorld CA and the San Francisco Zoo though the Aquarium of the Pacific can be a contender. Though if the Zoo were to plan on penguins, African would more likely be the pick though I prefer the more uncommon Magellanic species (unsure if Magellanics would be avoided to prevent competition with the Aquarium nearby).
3. Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus): Choose this one out of all other Bear species over personal preference and rarity, would be cool if the Zoo would be able to build a modern exhibit in the Asian area near the tigers and rhino (maybe include part of the old bear exhibit).
4. Common Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius): Another beloved and missed species and like the lions I obviously would prefer a new exhibit (not that they could return to their old exhibit anyways).
5. Red Uakari (Cacajao calvus): Unfortunately don't think I ever got to see them, so would like to get another chance and catch a few pictures of this rare primate.

Honorable mentions: Coyote (Canis latrans), Cougar (Puma concolor), Grey Wolf (Canis lupus), Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus), Brandt's cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus), Foosa (Cryptoprocta ferox), Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), Pygmy Marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea), Asian small-clawed Otter (Aonyx cinereus), Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), American Beaver (Castor canadensis), Chinese Alligator (Alligator sinensis), Little Blue Penguin (Eudyptula minor), and any bat species.
 
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