You have all the money in the world

Congratulations! After years of planning and hard work, you've succeeded in your world domination plans! Now that you have access to all the money and resources in the world... What kind of zoo do you make? Will you do things that would otherwise be impossible for a zoo due to cost? Would you research new technologies so you could make a tank big enough for a pod of sperm whales? Would you perhaps get to work on cloning extinct animals to keep in your zoo?

 

I rather make a natural history museum featuring all extant vertebrate species

 

I would build a planet that is a smaller version of Earth. I would then put animals that are completely not shy and willing to go up to people then have a private safari park.

 

Spiffy! How would you arrange it?

 

I'd probably have it arranged in islands. So around the equator islands representing each tropical zone so a large island for south american rainforest, a large island for african, a large island for indian and one for south east asia and around each of these large islands would be smaller islands for the seperate areas of each of these major habitats and geographical zones such as on the african rainforest an island off that for Madagascan rainforest. Then I would do something similar for other habitats like savanna, deciduous forest, etc. So it would be a planet of islands representing each major zone.

 

That would be fun. I'm assuming that the presence of islands means an ocean. Would you add anything to it?

 

My Zoo

I would do a giant panda/Javan rhino/platypus complex.
Giant pandas would have 800 acres of bamboo, hills, flat lands, streams, pools, and waterfall after waterfall. The pandas would have several viewing points along a long Chinese-themed path with various animal exhibits on the path- snow leopard, rhesus macaque, black bear (Asiatic), and Lar gibbon.
Xiongmao Reserve (1500 acres)
A Chinese-themed boardwalk and path would start with views of the pandas and continue past exhibits (10-30 acres, depending on the size of the species) for the snow leopards, black bears, Lar gibbons, and rhesus macaques. Each exhibit would have a water feature (if the species likes water), a densely forested area, and lots of space and enrichment. A bamboo grove would lead to more panda views and the south end of a Chinese grassland with red pandas, hog deer, Reeves' muntjac, bharal, Central Chinese gorals, chiru, Pere David's deer, sarus crane, and Chinese water deer, a 600-acre grassland with a watering hole. A pond with Mandarin/other ducks and koi fish would be at the edge of the bamboo grove. The trail would continue past vantage points for pandas to the end of the area, Xiongmao Plaza, with ATM, cafe, gift shop, and restrooms. A Chinese pagoda has an aviary, mammals, herps and insects, and fish.
Java- Rhinos of Indonesia (2500-3000 acres)
An Indonesian bridge and flag would start the swamp area (a 900-acre habitat for Javan rhinos). A swamp would start the viewing area, as well as a pool, waterfall, grass, and mud wallows. A long, winding trail would go past views of a herd of rhinos for 2 miles. The trail would branch off at 2 miles and a 500-acre paddock would appear with Asian elephant, Sumatran rhino, Malayan tapir, chevrotains in a separate 10-acre habitat, babirusa, sambar, anoa, muntjacs, Javan gibbons, Celebes warty pigs, Bornean bearded pigs, and various birds. Komodo dragons, both orangutan types, and a parrot aviary would be next, followed by more views of the paddock and then of the rhinos. The 6-mile trail would come to an end at a village, with dingoes, and Indonesian huts for birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. A plaza similar to Xiongmao would appear at the village.
Platypus- Denizens of Tasmania (2000-3000 acres)
A massive (8-acre) netted aviary would be first on the Australian trail, for 3,000 budgerigars. A similar (but 20-acre) aviary would be next for 10,000 lorikeets (including Weber's, blue mountain, Australian rainbow, and green-naped) Galahs and sulphur-crested cockatoos would be next, followed by cockatiels. Once the bird trail was done, a eucalyptus grove would start. There would be a 20-acre koala habitat, 15 acres for cassowaries, and 10 acres for 2 types of echidna (long and short-beaked), and 10 acres each for dingiso, Lumholtz, Matschie's, and Goodfellow's tree kangaroo. Saltwater crocodiles would have a 40-acre "river" viewable over a long, long bridge. Emus would be next, and then the 100-acre habitat for wallabies (YF rock, agile, Bennett's, swamp, and Parma, as well as wallaroos). The exhibit would be walkthrough. Another 100-acre red/gray kangaroo habitat would be next. Dingoes would have 10 acres after the walk-through kangaroo, followed by Tasmanian devils, wombats, and a nocturnal mineshaft for 40-60 species of various marsupial, including woylie, potoroo, and kowari, as well as bats. Another mineshaft would have herps (White's tree frogs, moloch, pythons, etc.) and then there would be an invertebrate/aquarium mineshaft. The centerpiece would be a 50-acre Platypus Falls, with a waterfall and pool for a large colony of duck-billed platypus. An Australian sheep station would be next after the large viewing area for platypus. It would have Merino sheep, as well as dromedary camels. After the station would be another platypus viewing from a boardwalk and then the end- an Australian town called Bundarra.

 

Cloudedleopard, I'm loving it! Dream big!

Personally I'd work on developing the technology needed to create a safari park... In the ocean! Without having to worry about how big a tank can be, I can make it as big as I want, allowing the place to have larger creatures that normally can't be kept (or at least can't be kept easily) in tanks. Humpback whales, great white sharks, and more. Animals would be viewable from a number of different ways: glass-bottom boats, underwater tunnels, boats with underwater viewing areas, and maybe even submarines. Areas with safer species like small fish and manatees would allow guests to just swim around as they please. There would be islands with some birds and terrestrial species, perhaps going on a tropical theme.

And since I'd have the money, work on trying to clone back recently extinct marine species like the Caribbean monk seal, and the Stellar's sea cow. Maybe do the same for a few land species, perhaps enough to focus a big portion of the park on them.

 

If it was an actual separate planet smaller than Earth what would you do about gravity? Or would gravity be forced into submission?

 

If I had all the money in the world I would be torn between a nice traditional zoo or a nice drive through safari. Either way there would lots of hoofstock and spacious enclosures for elephants of both species.

 

If I had endless money and a zoo/safari, I'd make a MASSIVE elephant exhibit, working in a conservation-based captive breeding program with intent to release some at some point. Even if it was just a zoo exhibit and not a safari, people would still need a vehicle to get through it. Alternately, some elevated pathways that go to various parts of the exhibit, and guests can take a nice, long walk.

 

If I had the money in the world both species of elephants would definitely get VIP treatment at my facility.

 

Aw, yeah, I'd go all out. State of the art elephant barns, big swimming pools, maybe one with a waterfall, plenty of trees to forage in...

 

Both species?! There are 3 now! You forgot the forest elephant

 

I forgot there were two separate African species. Yes, if forest elephants were in zoos they would have VIP treatment in my zoo as well.

 

Forest elephants are known to leave trails as they go through the forest. I think it would be kind of cool to make some kind of setup where guests can walk through an elephant trail.

 

Are there any Forest Elephants in Zoos? I've never heard of it but then again I'm not into Elephants so much as I'm into primates and cetaceans (though I can't see going to Roger Williams and not paying their Girls a visit.)

 

I would do a series of huge ranges for animals from around the world.
African Rainforest would have forest elephants, as well as mandrills, red river hogs, duiker, pygmy hippos, okapi, etc. There would also be a big African primates area for chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, drills, mandrills, etc, all rotating. West African dwarf crocodiles would have a streamside exhibit where the visitors would view them from a bridge with only water separating the visitors and the crocodiles.
African Wetlands would have hippos as its main animal. Pelicans, flamingos, herons, sitatunga and waterbuck would also live in the "east African lake" set of habitats, as well as Nile crocodiles.
Drive-through farm park possibly?
Ankole cattle, miniature horse, Texas longhorn, Sicilian donkey, reindeer, llama, alpaca, domestic Bactrian camel, and maybe even domestic Asian elephant.
Elephant Safari-
Visitors ride elephants past animals from around the world, like bison, llama, giraffe, sika deer, wallabies, saiga, ibex, zebra, kangaroo, rhino, antelope and more.

 

I think there are a few forest elephants scattered around in zoos, but not many.

 

If I had a lot of money, I would build a panda sanctuary in central Oregon, a dolphin sanctuary in Florida and a zoological museum in Virginia.

1. The Panda sanctuary should be the first of it's kind in the USA. It has a large habitat for Giant Pandas and has both public and non-public areas as well as lots of bamboo. Other animals at the sanctuary include red pandas, Przewalski horses, Chinese alligator and various species of birds.

2. The Dolphin sanctuary would be a reserve for both Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins and Pacific White-Sided Dolphins. There are also habitats for various birds and fish as well as Maned wolves, Bush Dogs, Arctic Foxes, Giant Anteaters, snakes, lizards, turtles, tortoises and Indian Gharials.

3. The Zoological Museum will feature animals from all over the world by the continent their from (Lions, Giraffes & Zebras in Africa; Pandas and Orangutans in Asia; Bison and Wolves in North America; ETC). I will also try to have the largest collection of taxidermed animals in the world.