Planet Zoo Conservation Projects: Full Guide

This guide walks you through completing conservation projects in Planet Zoo, from unlocking the Conservation Board to releasing animals into the wild. You’ll learn how to choose the right species, manage your CC (Conservation Credits), and avoid common pitfalls that stall your progress.

What You’ll Need

• At least one zoo with a staff building (to place the Conservation Board)
• Research points for the species you want to work with (earned by researching animals in the Trade Center)
• Conservation Credits (CC) – earned by releasing animals, completing projects, or selling animals for CC
• Animals of the target species in your zoo (either bred or bought)
• Enough space in your Trade Center for the animals you’ll need to hold

Step-by-Step

1. Unlock the Conservation Board. Open the Research tab in the Zoopedia or use the staff menu. The Conservation Board is unlocked by researching any animal to at least 1 star. Research is done in the Trade Center – select an animal there and click “Research.” Once you have 1 star on any species, the Conservation Board becomes available in the Staff > Facilities menu.
2. Place the Conservation Board. Go to the build menu (B), select Staff > Conservation Board, and place it inside any staff room or a dedicated small building. It costs $1,500 and requires power. Connect it to a path so staff can access it.
3. Open the Conservation Board panel. Click on the placed board. You’ll see a list of available conservation projects. Each project shows the target species, the required number of animals to release, and the reward (CC and sometimes cash).
4. Choose a project. Pick a species you already have or can easily breed. Early on, choose common animals like peafowl or grizzly bears – they breed quickly and have low CC costs. Avoid rare species like giant pandas until you have a stable income.
5. Check the requirements. Each project asks for a specific number of animals (e.g., 5 adult males and 5 adult females). It also lists the minimum quality – usually “any” but sometimes “gold” or “silver” for harder projects. Make sure your animals meet the quality requirement.
6. Acquire the animals. You can buy them with cash or CC from the Trade Center, or breed them in your zoo. Breeding is more cost-effective but takes time. Use the Animal Market to filter by species and quality.
7. Move animals to the Trade Center. Conservation projects require animals to be in your Trade Center, not in habitats. Select the animal in its habitat, click “Move to Trade Center.” They must be adults – juveniles won’t count.
8. Start the project. Once you have the required number and quality of animals in the Trade Center, go back to the Conservation Board, select the project, and click “Start.” The animals are immediately removed from your Trade Center and the project begins.
9. Wait for the project to complete. Most projects take a few in-game days (about 2-5 minutes of real time at normal speed). You don’t need to do anything during this period – the project runs automatically.
10. Collect your reward. When the project finishes, a notification appears. Click the Conservation Board again and select “Collect Reward.” You’ll receive CC and sometimes cash. The animals are released, and the project is marked as complete.
11. Repeat or choose a new project. You can start another project immediately. Some projects are repeatable, others are one-time only. Check the board for new options.

Common Mistakes

• Not checking quality requirements. If a project needs “gold” animals and you have silver, the start button is greyed out. Always filter the Trade Center by quality.
• Leaving animals in habitats. Animals in habitats don’t count. You must physically move them to the Trade Center.
• Starting a project with juveniles. Only adults qualify. Wait until they mature.
• Selling animals for cash instead of CC. For conservation, always release animals for CC – it’s the only way to progress. Selling for cash gives you nothing toward projects.
• Taking on too many projects at once. Each project ties up animals in the Trade Center, which can block your breeding. Focus on one at a time.

Tips

• Start with easy species. Peafowl, warthogs, and grizzly bears are cheap and breed fast. They give you a steady stream of CC early.
• Breed for quality. To get gold animals, breed two gold parents – offspring often inherit high stats. Keep a breeding pair in a habitat and move the offspring to the Trade Center.
• Use the Animal Market wisely. Buy animals with cash when possible, save CC for rare species. Compare prices – sometimes buying a gold animal is cheaper than breeding one.
• Research before starting. Higher research stars unlock better projects with higher rewards. Research your target species to 2-3 stars first.
• Keep a buffer of CC. Some projects require you to buy animals with CC. Always keep at least 200 CC in reserve.
• Use the Trade Center’s storage. You can store dozens of animals there. Fill it with excess offspring from your breeding programs – they’ll be ready when a project appears.

Troubleshooting

• Project won’t start – requirements not met. Double-check the exact number of animals and their quality. Also verify they are in the Trade Center, not in a habitat or quarantine. If you have 5 males but only 4 females, it won’t start.
• Animals are in the Trade Center but greyed out. They might be juveniles or sick. Check their age and health. Sick animals must be treated in quarantine first.
• Project started but no reward after completion. Sometimes the notification is subtle. Open the Conservation Board and look for a “Collect” button. If it’s not there, wait a few more seconds – the game may be lagging.
• No projects available. Research new species or complete more research stars. Projects refresh over time, but if the list is empty, you need to unlock more species.
• CC not increasing after release. Make sure you’re releasing animals via the Conservation Board, not via the Trade Center’s “Release” button. The latter gives you CC but doesn’t count toward projects.
• Conservation Board is unpowered. Check that it’s connected to a powered grid. Place a power source nearby or connect it to a generator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do conservation projects require DLC animals?

No, the base game includes many species with projects. DLC adds more, but you can complete projects without any DLC.

Can I cancel a conservation project?

Yes, but you lose the animals you placed in the Trade Center for it. They are removed from the game, so it’s best to only start projects you can finish.

How do I get Conservation Credits fast?

Breed high-quality animals (gold) and release them via the Trade Center’s “Release” button. This gives you CC without needing a project. Also complete easy projects repeatedly.

Do released animals affect my zoo’s rating?

No, conservation projects don’t directly affect your zoo rating, but they give CC and sometimes cash, which helps you build better habitats and improve welfare.

Can I do conservation projects in franchise mode?

Yes, franchise mode is the best place for them because CC carries across your franchise. You can also trade animals between zoos to fulfill requirements.

What happens if I run out of CC mid-project?

You can’t run out mid-project – the CC is only spent when you start the project. If you don’t have enough CC to start, you’ll need to earn more first.

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