Planet Zoo: 24 Best Animals For Multispecies Enclosures

The highly immersive and realistic simulation game Planet Zoo puts players in the shoes of a zoo owner tasked with building, maintaining, and expanding a profitable zoo. The size, design, and type of zoo players can build is entirely up to them, but with this freedom comes some difficulty. There are a lot of animals to choose from and each has individual needs that must be maintained to ensure their happiness.

As a result, animals favorable for multispecies enclosures are often the most profitable and best for new players. They can share the same space, often have the same needs, and receive and provide bonuses to those they share space with. If players are interested in creating multi-species enclosures, here are the best Planet Zoo animals that can live together.

Updated July 5, 2024, by Joe Grantham: Planet Zoo is easily the best zoo management game of all time, with incredible attention to detail and immersive features that help players forget they are playing a game. With over 180 species available to players with all the content, and new animals always being added, it is only natural that many of these animals can live together in peace, and provide each other with enrichment. The best animals for multispecies enclosures in Planet Zoo can work with various other species, allowing for some truly unique viewing experiences for guests. Furthermore, with the release of Planet Zoo on consoles, even more players will be wondering which animals can live together.

1 Koala

Compatible With 1 Species

Koalas were added as part of the Australia Pack which is available for an additional price and adds a total of five new animals, as well as new scenery, challenges, and more. Koalas pair nicely with Red Kangaroos, though technically they don’t share a suitable biome.

Both Koalas and Kangaroos require 180.0 m² in their enclosure but require no water, which thankfully means no Water Treatment or Water Temperature Regulars are needed. Koalas need a climbing area of 20 m² and also need the temperature to be 8‒42 ℃, while kangaroos need a temperature of 12‒40 ℃, which can easily be accommodated for both by putting heaters in the habitat, especially when it snows.

2 Pronghorn Antelope

Compatible With 1 Species

The Pronghorn Antelope is a North American animal that receives and gives a bonus when sharing a space with the American Bison. It ranks low because it only gets this bonus with one other animal. That being said, if players are going for a North American-themed zoo, the Pronghorn Antelope are great animals to have with American Bison.

They only require 370 square meters of land, have a quick maturation period of 1.5 years, and a short gestation of 8 months. These are great if players want to start breeding and selling rather quickly.

3 Red Ruffed Lemur

Compatible With 2 Species

Red Ruffed Lemurs are native to the island of Madagascar off the South East Coast of Africa and their perfect partners for a shared enclosure are their relatives, the Ring Tailed and Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs, which like any Lemurs are also only found on the remote island. All three species have very similar requirements, as they prefer a tropical biome, need 210 m² of space, and 20.0 m² of climbing area.

However, the Red Ruffed Lemurs are arguably the best out of the three, as they mature slightly quicker at 2.5 years and have a slightly lower gestation period of only 3 months. They also don’t become sterile until they are 20 years of age, which means they can produce many offspring during their lifetime.

4 Striped Skunk

Compatible With 3 Species

The Twilight Pack is one of the most interesting DLCs in Planet Zoo as it encourages players to build habitats that are best viewed at night. One of the animals from this pack is the Striped Skunk from North America, and to make things even more interesting, players could design a habitat that features not only Skunks but other nocturnal or North American species too.

These multispecies options include the Racoon from the same expansion pack, as well as the Black-Tailed Prairie Dog and North American Beaver, both of which are available with the North America Animal Pack. As all of these animals are relatively small, players can build more intimate enclosures that allow guests to get more up-close views. This will help with guest happiness.

5 Emu

Compatible With 3 Species

The Emu is one of Australia’s most iconic species and, as one of the few birds in Planet Zoo, it is a great option for a multispecies habitat with three other species from the region. To go alongside Emus from the Grasslands Animal Pack, players can adopt and place Red Kangaroos and Red-Necked Wallabies in the knowledge that they will all get along well and receive a small bonus to their enrichment. Quokkas from the Oceania Pack is another option, although their cuteness may be overshadowed by how small they are in comparison to Emus.

Unlike Flamingos in Planet Zoo, for example, who love to live in large groups, Emus prefer less populated groups, which means smaller habitats are possible. Nor does any of this space have to go towards habitable water. This and the fact that they are easy to breed makes Emus great animals for any zoo.

6 American Bison

Compatible With 3 Species

The American Bison gets an interspecies enrichment bonus by sharing an enclosure with the Pronghorn Antelope, but regrettably, not any of the other antelope species. They can also live with Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs if players have the North America Animal Pack. Thanks to an anniversary update they also get on with the Collared Peccary which was added for free. American Bison requires an enclosure that is 420.0 m² large, with an additional 90 m² required for each individual added.

They mature rather quickly at 3 years of age and have a fairly low gestation period of 10 months. They prefer a grassland environment and temperatures that do not rise above 40 ℃. Controlling the temperature of habitats is one of the many features of Planet Zoo that new players often don’t know about.

7 Bornean Orangutan

Compatible With 4 Species

Orangutans are one of the most well-loved species around the world and in Planet Zoo, players can acquire and care for Borean Orangutans. Alongside these graceful apes, players can populate a moderate-sized tropical habitat with four other species from the region.

These species include two other types of primates; Lar Gibbons and Siamangs, for which players can build lots of climbable branches and frames. The Malayan Tapir is another option with its distinct black and white coat, which can serve as a great contrast to the orange fur of the Orangutans. Last of all is the Asian Small-Clawed Otter, and players will find many pictures and videos online of Otters and Orangutans interacting at real-life zoos.

8 Mute Swan

Compatible With 4 Species

The graceful Mute Swan is one of the newest faces in Planet Zoo, arriving as part of the Eurasia Animal Pack and has taken the community by storm. In terms of compatibility with other species, the Mute Swan benefits from living alongside the two species of deer, as well as Wild Boar and Wisent from the same DLC.

While all these animals are compatible with each other, in practice the Mute Swan makes the most sense as players can create a habitat that is part land, part water.

9 Colombian White-Faced Capuchin Monkey

Compatible With 4 Species

Colombian White-Faced Capuchin Monkeys were introduced in one of the best DLCs for Planet Zoo, the South America Pack, alongside four other new animals. They are native to both South America and North America. These adorable little primates are happy to share their enclosure with Giant Anteaters, Baird’s Tapirs, Collared Peccary, and Capybara all of which will be happy in a tropical biome.

These monkeys require an enclosure that is 210 m² large, with an additional 8 m² for each Capuchin added. They mature at 7 years of age, but they have a low gestation period of only 6 months.

10 Dromedary Camel

Compatible With 5 Species

Dromedary Camels are arguably the highlight of the Arid Animal Pack, whereas the other species of Camel, Bactrians, are available to all in the standard edition of Planet Zoo. While these two types of Camel can technically live alongside one another in the game, they will not gain a bonus.

However, five African species of animals will give the Dromedary Camel an enrichment bonus. A few of these are from the Arid Pack too, but the Scimitar-Horned Oryx and Reticulated Giraffe are other great cohabitants. As one of the more recent additions to the game, the Camels are beautifully modeled and animated, and fit into a wide array of zoo designs. Naturally, any players who enjoy games set in the desert will likely be very drawn to these animals.

11 Collared Peccary

Compatible With 5 Species

For the 4th anniversary of Planet Zoo, Frontier added the Collared Peccary for free, and these pig-like creatures happen to be compatible with five other species from the Americas. Amazingly, these adaptable mammals are at home in grassland, temperate, tropical, and even desert biomes, meaning fans can play around with the habitats they create.

Collared Peccary requires 300 m² land with an additional 7 m² per animal added. While this is by no means a small space, they don’t need any climbing space or water to swim in.

12 Giant Anteater

Compatible With 5 Species

The Giant Anteater was one of the five animals added as part of the South America pack DLC, as well as additional new scenery pieces which make it a must-buy for players who want to build realistic zoos. This animal is more than happy to share its enclosure with Colombian White-Faced Capuchin Monkeys (also from the South America pack) and Baird’s Tapirs, but also Maned Wolves and Collared Peccary.

Giant Anteaters require a 660 m² space for their enclosure with an additional 60 m² for each animal added. It takes them 4 years to mature, and they have a gestation period of 9 months.

13 Asian Small-Clawed Otter

Compatible With 6 Species

Asian Small-Clawed Otters are among the cutest animals in Planet Zoo, and they also happen to gain an enrichment bonus from being with six other species. While not all of these other animals can live together, players nonetheless have a good selection to choose from, depending on which DLC they have. The Otters themselves are from the Wetlands Pack.

As none of these other species spend much time in the water, the Otters will have lots of deep water that is just theirs, while an Indian Rhinoceros, for example, patrols the land. As Asian Small-Clawed Otters aren’t the easiest to breed, they aren’t the best option for players looking to farm conservation credits.

14 Capybara

Compatible With 7 Species

Capybara from the Wetlands Animal Pack are compatible with a wide variety of other animals, all from Central and South America. Most interestingly of all, they can be paired with Colombian White-Faced Capuchin Monkeys who will swing far above them, as well as Maned Wolves, which is surprising.

The fact that Capybaras breed so easily and can form large groups without taking up too much space makes them an ideal addition to any zoo.

15 Common Warthog

Compatible With 9 Species

Arguably one of the best animals players can have for multispecies enclosures in Planet Zoo is the Common Warthog. These underappreciated creatures get along with many other animals that players are no doubt familiar with such as the African Buffalo, Black Wildebeest, Common Ostrich, Plains Zebra, Reticulated Giraffe, Sable Antelope, and Springbok.

What makes them so great is the very small land requirement of 290 square meters. Their group size is a little small with 7 members and their breeding cycle isn’t too bad with 2-year maturation and 6 months gestation. The only major downside is that players need to ensure there are never more than two males to avoid fights, but these are fantastic beasts for new players as they can keep costs low to churn a healthy profit every 6 months and slowly build up to a massive African multispecies enclosure that can facilitate the other animals on this list.

16 Thomson’s Gazelle

Compatible With 10 Species

The Thomson’s Gazelle is another African species that gets along with many other species such as the African Buffalo, Black Wildebeest, Common Ostrich, Common Warthog, Reticulated Giraffe, Sable Antelope, and Springbok.

They’re arguably more profitable than Plains Zebra because they require a smaller area of 425 square meters, larger herds of 36, a two-year maturation, and a small gestation period of 6 months. With this animal, players will have a larger herd in no time and a profitable breeding system up and running quickly.

17 Sable Antelope

Compatible With 10 Species

The Sable Antelope is a great animal for multispecies enclosures as it gets along with many other African animals such as the African Buffalo, Black Wildebeest, Common Ostrich, Common Warthog, Plains Zebra, Reticulated Giraffe, and Springbok.

The land requirement isn’t too crazy at 450 square meters, but they offer a measly herd size of 11. One advantage is that players can instead form bachelor groups. They have a short 1.5-year maturation, and a 9-month gestation isn’t too bad. They are an average species that make a great addition to an African plains multispecies enclosure.

18 Black Wildebeest

Compatible With 10 Species

The Black Wildebeest gets along with other members of the African plains such as the African Buffalo, Common Ostrich, Common Warthog, Plains Zebra, Reticulated Giraffe, Sable Antelope, Springbok, and Thomson’s Gazelle. Naturally, they also can live in perfect harmony with Blue Wildebeest, which is available with the Grasslands Animal Pack.

They’re very similar to African Buffalo but with more favorable breeding cycles. They need 410 square meters of land and roll in herds of 32. Their maturation is better than the African Buffalo at 3 years and a smaller 9-month gestation. They are a solid species to complement any African plains enclosure.

19 Springbok

Compatible With 10 Species

Springbok are fantastic animals for multispecies enclosures given their bonuses with African Buffalo, Black Wildebeest, Common Ostrich, Common Warthog, Plain Zebra, Reticulated Giraffe, Sable Antelope, and Thomson’s Gazelle.

Their land requirement is a decent 425 square meters, and they have healthy herds of 35. Their best perk is the short 1-year maturation and a 6-month gestation period. Any African multispecies enclosure players build should have these great animals as they can generate a steady amount of offspring to sell or release into the wild.

20 Red River Hog

Compatible With 10 Species

The Red River Hog from the Tropical Pack DLC is one of the most interesting animals for multispecies enclosures. This is because, unlike the other African Plains species that are all compatible with each other, the Red River Hog can live with lots of species that otherwise prefer being alone.

For example, they are compatible with Gorillas and Chimpanzees, as well as both types of Hippos. Red River Hogs require 300 m² with an additional 7 m² for each individual.