Planet Zoo 2 has 136 species, but a new Franchise starts with only 32 of them. The other 104 are held behind four more Accreditation tiers. To open them, you need several separate zoos and Wildlife Reserves to reach set star ratings. Building one huge, perfect zoo will not get you there.
Quick answer: In Franchise, Tier 5 unlocks every species. It needs two zoos at 3+ Reputation stars and three Wildlife Reserves at 3+ Biodiversity stars.
Franchise Accreditation tier requirements
Each tier checks how many qualifying locations you have across your whole Franchise. The numbers below are totals, not amounts to add at each step. A zoo counts once it holds at least three Zoo Reputation stars. A Wildlife Reserve counts once it holds at least three Biodiversity stars.
| Tier | 3-star zoos | 3-star reserves | New species |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | None (starting tier) | None | 32 |
| 2 | 1 | None | 33 |
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 31 |
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 30 |
| 5 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
Each location is judged on its own. One five-star zoo does not count as two three-star zoos, and you cannot add stars together across parks. Going past three stars also does nothing for Accreditation. Once a location qualifies, it keeps counting toward every higher tier. You never need a third zoo. From Tier 3 onward, every new requirement is another reserve.
Non-animal rewards by tier
Every tier also adds Marketing slots. Some tiers add Research Network equipment or extra storage space.
| Tier | Marketing slots | Other unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | +1 Bronze | Observation Platform |
| 2 | +2 Bronze | Camera Trap |
| 3 | +1 Bronze, +1 Silver | Acoustic Monitor |
| 4 | +1 Bronze, +1 Silver | +50 Animal Storage |
| 5 | +1 Silver, +1 Gold | None |
The Camera Trap and Acoustic Monitor matter for later tiers. Together with the Observation Platform, they build the research network that raises a reserve’s Biodiversity rating. Reaching Tier 5 in any non-Sandbox hub also earns the Credit Where It’s Due achievement.
How to reach Tier 5 in Franchise
The fastest order is to get each location to three stars, then move on to the next one. You can open the Accreditation panel in your Franchise’s Planet Hub at any time. It shows what the next tier needs and which of your locations already count.
European reserves have more species in common across their Ecosystem Roles than other regions. That means one set of European animals bred in your zoos can supply all three reserves.
What raises Zoo Reputation and Biodiversity
The two ratings work separately, and a strong score in one never counts toward the other. You can check Zoo Reputation in each zoo’s management overview. You can check the Biodiversity breakdown in each reserve’s overview.
| Rating | Category | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Zoo Reputation | Animal Husbandry | Average welfare, Thriving animals |
| Zoo Reputation | Sustainability | Renewable power, recycling bins |
| Zoo Reputation | Guest Education | Education boards, speakers, educators |
| Zoo Reputation | Guest Experience | Guest happiness, scenery, species variety |
| Biodiversity | Ecosystem Rating | Ecosystems moving to Established, then Flourishing |
| Biodiversity | Research Rating | Platforms, Camera Traps, Acoustic Monitors |
In zoos, fully research every species first to reveal its Thriving requirements. Then tailor its habitat area, terrain, temperature, food, and enrichment. Animal talks by Educators also boost donations, while Marketing campaigns increase animal appeal. In reserves, tackle Environmental Pollution and Invasive Flora first. Next, use the Create Release Group menu to release suitable species and fill Ecosystem Roles. Finally, spread research equipment across a broad area of the reserve.
Every Franchise species by Accreditation tier
Each tier adds to what you already have, so earlier species stay available. After you place your first Franchise animal, the in-game Zoopedia also shows the tier for each species. Lions and elephants only appear at Tier 5.
Tier 1 (starting species)
Aardvark, Amazonian Giant Centipede, Bactrian Camel, Black Wildebeest, Blue Wildebeest, Bluespine Unicornfish, Blunthead Cichlid, Cape Buffalo, Cloudless Sulphur, Clown Anemonefish, Clown Loach, Common Bluetongue, Common Ostrich, Common Rudd, Common Warthog, Galapagos Giant Tortoise, Giant Forest Scorpion, Giant Malaysian Leaf Insect, Giant Tiger Land Snail, Koi, Meerkat, Nyala, Plains Zebra, Red Deer, Sacred Scarab Beetle, Schooling Bannerfish, Springbok, Thomson’s Gazelle, Toco Toucan, Wild Boar, Yellow Anaconda, Yellow Tang.
Tier 2 (one 3-star zoo)
American Bullfrog, Asian Small-Clawed Otter, Axolotl, Blue and Gold Fusilier, Boa Constrictor, Brown Trout, Diamondback Terrapin, Eurasian Beaver, Eurasian Bittern, Eurasian Lynx, European Bison, Fire Salamander, Giant Gourami, Golden Trevally, Great Hornbill, Greater Flamingo, Grey Wolf, Indo-Pacific Leopard Shark, Javanese Cownose Ray, Long-Eared Owl, Moon Jelly, Mountain Hare, Nile Monitor, North Sulawesi Babirusa, Pacific Sardine, Palette Surgeonfish, Przewalski’s Horse, Red-Eyed Tree Frog, Ring-Tailed Lemur, Sable Antelope, Sailfin Snapper, Saltwater Crocodile, Spotted Hyena.
Tier 3 (two zoos, one reserve)
African Leopard, African Penguin, African Tigerfish, African Wild Dog, Binturong, Boeseman’s Rainbowfish, Clown Triggerfish, Common Hippopotamus, Danube Crested Newt, Dolphinfish, Eastern Brown Snake, Eurasian Brown Bear, Gemsbok, Gila Monster, Golden Eagle, Golden Lion Tamarin, Goliath Beetle, Grizzly Bear, Indian Ocean Oriental Sweetlips, Indo-Pacific Sergeant, Long-Tailed Parakeet, Longfin Batfish, Malayan Tapir, Menelaus Blue Morpho, Mexican Redknee, Secretarybird, Siamang, Sri Lankan Rose, Sunda Pangolin, Threespot Damselfish, Western Diamondback Rattlesnake.
Tier 4 (two zoos, two reserves)
Black Rhinoceros, Black Spotted Puffer, Blacktip Reef Shark, Desert Horned Viper, European Peacock, Gharial, Giant Grouper, Giant Slippery Frog, Golden Poison Frog, Goodfellow’s Tree-Kangaroo, Hawksbill Turtle, Humphead Wrasse, Javan Green Magpie, Komodo Dragon, Lehmann’s Poison Frog, Masai Giraffe, Monarch, Ocellated Eagle Ray, Old World Swallowtail, Pacific Bluefin Tuna, Red Lionfish, Red Panda, Reticulated Giraffe, Sand Tiger Shark, Shoebill, Snow Leopard, Sumatran Tiger, Sun Bear, West Indian Manatee, White-Tailed Sea-Eagle.
Tier 5 (two zoos, three reserves)
African Savannah Elephant, Asian Elephant, Giant Panda, Great Hammerhead, Lion, Ocean Sunfish, Sumatran Orangutan, Western Chimpanzee, Western Lowland Gorilla, White-Backed Vulture.
The 136-species total includes six Deluxe Edition animals. Reaching a tier does not give you Deluxe species you don’t own. Owning Deluxe also does not let you skip Franchise progression.
Career and Sandbox accreditation rules
Career and Franchise keep separate Accreditation records, so progress in one mode does not transfer to the other. In Career, complete objectives at scenario zoos and Wildlife Reserves to earn medals in Bronze, Silver, and Gold, raising your Accreditation. You can advance in Franchise without finishing Career, and earning more Career medals will not unlock an animal in Franchise. Sandbox has no Accreditation; every animal is available from the start.
Career also sorts species into different tiers. Lion and Masai Giraffe are available at Career Tier 1, for example. Career Tier 5 adds only one Silver and one Gold Marketing slot, with no new animals. If you are working from a tier list, check which mode it covers first.
How to confirm a Franchise animal is unlocked
Your new tier appears in the Planet Hub’s Accreditation panel. The species it unlocks can then be adopted in Animal Trading, which needs a working Trade Centre in the zoo you are playing. An animal is only ready to buy when three things are true:
- Your edition includes the species.
- Your Franchise tier has unlocked it.
- The online player market has one listed for sale.
Having enough Cash or Conservation Credits does not get around a tier lock. An empty market listing does not mean your Accreditation failed to apply. Franchise is an online mode, so connection or server problems can also block Animal Trading. If every requirement shows as met and the tier still won’t advance, send your mode, platform, game version and screenshots of each location’s rating to Frontier’s Planet Zoo 2 issue tracker. Keep your existing save while you wait, because deleting a zoo is not a confirmed fix.
