Status: Endangered

Aristotle once said elephants were “the animal which surpasses all others in wit and mind.” You can add size to that; they can weigh more than two Cadillac Escalades.

Status: Endangered

These birds have been known to live up to 80 years in captivity! They are very social and can be taught hundreds of words, even using them in context!

Status: Critically Endangered

Also called the Painted Dog, there may only be a few thousand of them left in the wild. Their social structure is orderly, with a focus on communication and taking care of young.

There may be over a million gators roaming the Southeast United States. The largest on record was over 14 feet long and over one thousand pounds (450+ kg).

The heaviest snake in the world can weigh 500 pounds and grow to over 20 feet. Their Latin name Eunectes marinus means “good swimmer”. Interestingly, they do not lay eggs but birth live young.

This American symbol was taken off the endangered species list in 2007 and is thriving. If you’re wondering how good an “eagle eye” is, they can spot a rabbit from 3 miles away.

A black panther can refer to either a Leopard or Jaguar with a gene variant that causes overproduction of pigment. They are more common in the jungles of southeast Asia.

They look like giant guinea pigs and they are in fact the world’s largest rodent. You will find huge groups along rivers and swamps, where they will swim, and even sleep, in the water.

Status: Vulnerable

You may know them as the world’s fastest land animal. They can clock in at 80 MPH (120 km/h). It’s a lot of exercise in the hot savannah sun, but they only need to drink every 2-3 days!

Status: Endangered

Biologically, “chimps” are closer to humans than to Gorillas. Like some toddlers I know, chimps ride on their mother’s back until age two.

There are several species of Flamingo, but they aren’t always easy to tell apart. They all get their pink coloring from the beta carotine in the algae and crustaceans they eat.

The largest species of Oryx, the Gemsbok uses its horns to defend predators. Found in dry parts of Africa & Asia, they were also released in New Mexico, USA in 1969.

Status: Vulnerable

The panda is a very symbolic animal for China and certainly a symbol of cuteness for the whole world. The poster cub of conservation can eat bamboo for 14 hours a day!

Status: Vulnerable

Giraffes stand from 14 to 18 feet (5.5 m) tall and give birth standing up. The calf lands on the grond but can walk within an hour of birth. Many calves are killed (~50%) by predators.

Status: Critically Endangered

An average male can weigh 450 pounds and stand near 6 feet tall. Mature males get white hair around age 14, giving them the term “silverbacks.”

Found in all habitats across the U.S (like our yard!), this common & fierce bird made the cut for the game pre-production after pleas from Zoo King/owl megafan Anthony Frijia.

The white-tipped (or “grizzled”) fur gives them these brown bears their name. Life for a bear is hard; they are constantly searching for food and many will starve to death before maturity.

Status: Vulnerable

In the wild Hippos live up to 40 years! They spend their days in the water (they can hold their breath for 5 minutes) and at night eat a lot of grass to maintain their 6,000 lb. figure.

Status: Vulnerable

The largest lizard in the world is found on five islands in Indonesia. They are aggressive and venomous, willing to attack buffalo, deer, and even other Komodo Dragons or humans.

Status: Vulnerable

These big cats can leap 20 feet (6m) in a single bound. They only live 12-17 years in the wild, but up to 23 in captivity. If you’ve ever had trouble knowing a Leopard from a Jaguar, Leopards don’t have spots inside their rosettes.

Status: Vulnerable

Lions are the only cats that live in groups (a pride). This creates a lot of drama as mature males fight to take over the pride, even killing cubs so they can create their own offspring. Females may turn on the male and kill him if he isn’t accepted.

Status: Endangered

Lemurs are only found on the island of Madagascar. There are hundreds of species, but the Ring-Tailed Lemur is featured in Zoo King. Lemurs eat fruit, nuts, and an occasional chameleon. Lemurs are hunted by hawks & fossas.

There are over a dozen species of Macaw, witht the Scarlet Macaw being featured in Zoo King (and the Blue-and-yellow Macaw featured on the Tour Guide card). They are large parrots that can mimic sounds and live up to 80 years in captivity!

Also known as the puma, panther, and cougar, they have the largest range of any mammal in the Americas. However, there are less than 100 Florida Panthers (subspecies) left in that state. They are a common college mascot, representing Houston (Texas), Washington State, BYU (Utah), and other universities.

Status: Endangered

The only other species in the Giraffidae family, they are very hard to find deep in the Congolese jungle. Their solitary and almost mythical status makes conservation all the more difficult to perform and track.

Ostriches are the world’s largest bird. They are flightless, can run over 40 MPH, and unlike any other bird, they secrete urine separately from feces…bet you didn’t know that!

There are seventeen species of penguin with the Galapogos standing only half a meter tall and the Emperor being over twice that. Like humans, the males gift rocks to females (used to build nests).

Status: Vulnerable

Polar Bears are the largest land predators in the world. Although not listed by IUCN as endangered, some countries consider them so as their range and numbers decrease.

Status: Endangered

Red Pandas are so unique that scientific debate put them in their own family of animals. They are similar to raccoons and skunks, but also Giant Pandas. They have a pseudo-thumb and eat bamboo. And there’s nothing cuter!

Status: Varies

There are five species of Rhino (White, Black, Indian, Sumatran, and Javan) ranging from Near-Threatened to Critically Endangered status. The Javan is only found in one park in Indonesia, where only ~60 remain.

The North American River Otter is known for its playfulness. They can live in any water habitat, as long as they can access fish, crayfish, crabs, or frogs. Hunting used to be their main threat, but that has changed to water pollution.

Highly intelligent and social, you can find them performing tricks at the zoo or napping near people on a beach. The California species is growing, but others vary. They live 20+ years but must avoid sharks and human fishing gear.

Like others, the Snow Leopard is not officially listed as Endangered by IUCN, who does state that Snow Leopard numbers are decreasing and they face a high risk of extinction. They are reclusive and verified reports of attacks on humans are rare/non-existent.

The Malay Tapir featured in Zoo King is the only species of Tapir outside of South America. Found in Malaysia, it enjoys the jungle as much as the water. It may look like a pig with a long nose, but it is closer in relation to horses and rhinos.

Status: Endangered

The largest feline in the world, the tiger is the 3rd largest predator after the Polar and Grizzly Bears. Unlike other big cats, Tigers excel in the water. Deforestation is their main threat as hunting has been mostly outlawed in countries where tigers live.

White fur on a tiger is caused by a genetic mutation. The tigers are as rare as 1 in 10,000 in the wild and, unfortunately, inbreeding in captive populations causes birth defects.

There are several species of tortoise globally, but the desert tortoise is featured in Zoo King. The Mojave desert tortoise was granted temporary endangered species status by the California Fish & Game Commission in 2020. They can live up to 80 years but their population has declined 90% since 19080.

Toucans have the largest bills in the world, compared to their body size, however, it is very light as it is made of keratin (like human hair). They eat fruit, but sometimes insects or small lizards even (not Froot Loops)!

The warthog’s tusks are actually canine teeth that protrude upward out of their mouth. They sleep in burrows made by other animals. They do not build their own. Hunted by many species, they can run pretty fast and act aggressive when threatened.

Wolves can eat up to 20 pounds of meat in one meal, but may go nearly two weeks in between meals. Their coats may vary from dark grey to cinnamon. Wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park in 1995 where they are growing in range and size.

Although it is a horse, despite numerous attempts in history, the Zebra has been unable to be domesticated. A group of Zebras is called a dazzle. Families of 10 to 20 may congregate by the thousands and travel hundreds of miles.