Wildlife reserves are big areas of wild land, separate from your zoo. The idea is simple: you breed animals in your zoo, put the young ones together into a release group (a small group the game accepts as able to survive in the wild), and release them into a reserve.
Every release earns you conservation credits, can unlock research, and makes the reserve healthier. Healthy reserves earn stars, and you need reserve stars to climb the accreditation tiers in Franchise mode.
Opening a reserve
In Franchise you acquire a permit for a reserve site from the hub. Reserves known so far include:
| Reserve | Region | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Great Rift Valley | Africa | 27 species. The big one for African zoos |
| Tanzania | Africa | Watering hole, grassland and savanna ecosystems |
| Scottish Highlands | Europe | Only 11 species, all easy breeders. Often recommended for beginners |
| Sweden | Europe | Needed for some species' research (grey wolf, Eurasian brown bear). Considered easy |
| South Africa location | Africa | Appears in Career mode |
Opening a reserve early, even with nothing in it, lets you see which release groups and species roles it needs.
Ecosystems and species roles
Each reserve is split into several nature areas called ecosystems, such as grassland, savanna or a watering hole. Each one needs certain kinds of animals, which the game calls species roles. A grassland needs something that grazes and something that digs, for example. Fill all the roles and the ecosystem goes from established to prosperous. Roles I've used:
| Role | Example species |
|---|---|
| Soil rooter | Meerkat, aardvark, common warthog |
| Grazer | Plains zebra |
| Low browser | Sable antelope, Cape buffalo |
| Terrestrial seed disperser | Sable antelope, Cape buffalo |
| Scavenger | Spotted hyena |
| Tall vegetation browser | Reticulated giraffe |
| Small prey | Meerkat, aardvark |
| Medium prey | Sable antelope |
| Large prey | Cape buffalo |
The fastest way to find candidates: open the Zoopedia, filter by the reserve and then by species role provided.
Predators need prey first
A species may have a species role required before it can be released. Spotted hyenas require medium prey in the reserve. African leopards could only go into the Great Rift Valley once giraffes had been released. Plan your release order around the food chain.
Release group types
Each species has its own valid group compositions. Ones I've built:
| Species | Valid release groups |
|---|---|
| Meerkat | Family group (4 males + 4 females) or mating pairs (≥50% genetic diversity) |
| Aardvark | Maternal family group |
| Sable antelope | 3 males (bachelor) · 1 male + 6 females with genetic diversity · 6 females |
| Common warthog | Female sounder (4 females) · male bachelor herds (3 males) |
| Spotted hyena | Mixed (1 male + 2 females) · male bachelor herd (3 males) · breeding partners (1 + 1, ≥50% diversity, ≥15% fertility) |
| Plains zebra | Mixed group (e.g. 1 male + 3 females) |
| Black wildebeest | Group of 4 |
| Springbok | Mixed group (3 males + 6 females) |
| Cape buffalo | Male herd (3 males) |
| Reticulated giraffe | 2 males + 4 females with diversity · 4 males · 4 females |
| Grey wolf | Mixed (2 males + 2 females) · monogamous pair with ≥50% diversity |
| Ostrich | 2 males, or 2 females + 1 male |
| Mountain hare | Mixed group (2 males + 2 females) |
| Long-eared owl | Mating pair (≥15% fertility, ≥50% diversity) |
| Pacific sardine | Mixed shoal with overall health ≥35% (released via conservation project or quick release) |
How to build a release group
- Move the chosen animals into storage (Trading & storage). Storage is just a holding list for animals that aren't in a habitat right now.
- Open Release groups → New group and pick the group type.
- Edit members and add animals. The panel checks sex ratio, fertility and genetic diversity.
- Finalise. Juveniles in a finalised group stop maturing.
- Release to the reserve. The game confirms the destination after you click.
Animals you bought generally can't be released. Release groups are for zoo-bred animals. Bought surplus animals can be quick traded instead.
Pushing a reserve to five stars
- Release new species. Each one is worth more than another group of a species already there.
- Fill every ecosystem's roles until each is prosperous.
- Some releases also unlock research tiers for that species, which helps your zoo's thriving percentage.
- The final push in one Great Rift Valley run came from a Cape buffalo male herd. Sometimes the cheapest common species is the missing piece.
Reserve tips
- Time doesn't pass in a location you're not visiting, so reserves don't change while you work in a zoo.
- Hide-and-seek animals like aardvarks look lonely at first; more releases fill the landscape.
- A reserve's rating also includes its research networks. Building research outposts helps.