Planet Zoo 2 Wiki — Animals, Habitats & Building Guides

Most new players should start with Career mode. The Fauna and Ecosystems Network missions walk you through the basics step by step — building your first habitat, hiring staff and managing money — while framing every task inside a conservation story. Sandbox is the better choice if you only want to build without managing money, and Franchise is best saved for once you understand the economy and want to trade animals with other players.

Planet Zoo 2 introduces fully aquatic species (blacktip reef sharks, hawksbill turtles, west indian manatees and fish shoals) that live in underwater habitats and aquariums, plus fully flying birds (toco toucans, secretary birds, javan green magpies and common ostriches) that fly inside custom aviaries. Land animals like lions, western chimpanzees and giant pandas also return with more detailed fur, feather, herding and reactive behaviour.

Aviaries are built like a habitat but use a mesh cover: place the basic barrier frame, then add an aviary mesh roof so flying birds cannot escape. Aquariums are placed as a water habitat with filtration — match the species requirements for freshwater or saltwater, install a filter and skimmer, and keep water quality in the green zone. Both count toward your zoo's biodiversity rating when animals are housed correctly.

Career is a story-driven campaign where you follow the Fauna and Ecosystems Network across zoos and reserves, earning medals for completing objectives and unlocking new content. Franchise is an online mode where your zoos share research, Conservation Credits and animal trading with other players through the Planet Hub. None of your Career progress carries into Franchise, so it is worth deciding which economy you want to focus on.

The most reliable early income comes from a balanced mix: set entry fees to match guest happiness, place shops and donation boxes near busy animal exhibits, and keep staff wages efficient by grouping keeper huts and staff rooms. Prioritise research that unlocks better animals and medicine, because charismatic species raise guest willingness to pay. Sandbox mode disables money entirely if profit is not your goal.

The minimum requirements are an Intel i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB RAM and an RTX 2060 or RX 5600XT with 40 GB of SSD storage. The recommended spec is an i7-10700K or Ryzen 7 5800X with an RTX 3070 or RX 6700XT. The game supports DLSS and FSR, so lower-end cards can still hit playable frame rates by enabling upscaling and reducing shadow quality and crowd density.

Wildlife Reserves are large, low-staff areas you design where bred animals live and breed in natural habitats before being released. Releasing animals and completing global conservation projects earns Conservation Credits, a network-wide currency shared through Franchise. Credits unlock additional species and research projects, making breeding for release one of the most rewarding long-term loops in the game.