How to create and restore a Wildlife Reserve
Establish your Wildlife Reserve through the Planet Hub, restore its ecosystems with suitable flora and terrain, and build a research outpost before releasing animals. Prepare a release group that meets its requirements, then expand your research network to observe the animals and support the reserve’s recovery.
Prepare your zoo animals for release
Invest your vets’ time in species research before planning a release. Research unlocks improved welfare options and the possibility of releasing animals into a Wildlife Reserve. Keep animal welfare high and satisfy the relevant conservation project’s requirements before attempting the transfer.
In your zoo, check access to food and water, sufficient space, appropriate terrain and plants, and the animal’s social and enrichment environment. Each animal has its own welfare requirements, so prepare the species you intend to release rather than treating every habitat alike. Use those needs to guide your care while working toward the project’s release conditions.
Restore the land and introduce animals
- Establish a Wildlife Reserve through the Planet Hub. This is where you manage your international conservation network and create new locations. You can also use it to view and visit your existing zoos and reserves.
- Clear debris when restoring damaged land. In the Sumatran Rainforest project, debris removal comes before marking out the initial ecosystem. Follow that preparation sequence when tackling the same restoration project.
- Establish an ecosystem with its required flora and terrain. Every Wildlife Reserve contains multiple ecosystems, each with its own environmental needs. The Sumatran Rainforest example begins with a Forest Swamp.
- Build your research outpost before introducing animals. The Forest Swamp demonstration requires this base before any release can take place. Choose a prebuilt blueprint or design your own outpost.
- Create a release group by selecting the species and group type. This determines the group whose requirements your chosen animals must meet. In the Sumatran Tiger example, the selected group is a solitary male.
- Send the release group to its reserve once its requirements are met. The tiger demonstration sends Malik to his new home after he meets the solitary-male group’s conditions. Check the conditions for your own selected group before proceeding.
- Add observation platforms to expand your research network. These build out your reserve’s base of operations after the release shown in the demonstration. Use platform blueprints or construct your own designs.
- Place camera traps and acoustic monitors to observe the reserve’s animals. These provide ways to keep an eye and ear on wildlife. Make monitoring part of your restoration work as you populate the reserve’s other ecosystems.
What to check before choosing animals
| Option | What to check |
|---|---|
| Matching the ecosystem | Check the ecosystem’s flora and terrain needs. The Forest Swamp has its own requirements, so use the ecosystem you are restoring to guide environmental changes. |
| Choosing the release group | Check the selected species, group type and group requirements. The solitary-male tiger release is an example to follow for that group, rather than a rule for every species. |
| Preparing aquatic animals | While caring for aquatic animals in your zoo, check whether they need marine, freshwater or brackish conditions and appropriate filtration. Aquatic species cannot all be mixed. |
| Planning freshwater releases | Freshwater shoals can be released into reserve lakes. African tigerfish are shown released into the same reserve as zebras; check your project and release-group requirements when planning a similar ecosystem. |
Expand biodiversity and keep observing
Restoration extends beyond the initial ecosystem. The Sumatran Rainforest demonstration continues by populating other ecosystems and later introducing a group of Asian elephants. Treat each additional ecosystem as a fresh planning decision, checking its environment and the animals’ release conditions before expanding.
Improving reserve biodiversity contributes to your accreditation rating alongside the work you do in your zoos. That rating unlocks new opportunities. You can also use the research vehicle to find animals in the reserve, as demonstrated with the released elephants.
What to review before another release attempt
- Review whether your research outpost is ready. In the Forest Swamp restoration sequence, it must be established before animals are released.
- Review the species and group type you selected. Check the requirements of that release group against the animals you intend to send.
- Review species research, animal welfare and the conservation project’s requirements together. Use those conditions to decide what to work on before attempting the release again.