Basic Animal Happiness Guidelines

[Twilight_Star]

Basically, these are problems that make animals happy, and solutions to these problems;
P: Unsuitable exhibit
S: Use Wisco's guide ( here )
P: Unhappy animals
S: Many solutions; some may not work
Make the walls opaque, 5 squares at a time
Assign a keeper to the exhibit and only that exhibit; or:
Block the exhibit entrance (inside of ex. for land; outside for water)
so the keeper stays inside (works well if you have advanced training
from research)
Double the exhibit, except for animals, toys, and shelters
P: Stupid keepers (can't, or won't go to the exhibit)
S: Assign the keeper to that (only that) exhibit; or:
Block the exhibit entrance (inside of ex. for land; outside for water)
so the keeper stays inside (works well if you have advanced training
from research)
P: Animals won't breed
S: Make all walls opaque
Use Wisco's guide (link above)
Double the exhibit, except for animals, toys, and shelters
If anyone has anything to add, please post!

[Twilight_Star]

Also:
P: Unhappy animals
S: As a last resort, pause the game, fill the exhibit almost all the way full with small rocks, unpause and delete the rocks until the exhibit is suitable again
However, some people would consider this "cheating" and I only do this instead of:
P: Unhappy animals
S: Try everything else; if nothing works sell the animals and re-buy a new pair/set/group
Basically, the first solution posted in this post is sometimes a lot cheaper than the latter of these solutions! Like with the expensive animals (i.e. whales, dinos, mythic animals like bigfoot)



Even more solutions to animal happiness:
P: Unhappy animals
S: Animals like natural exhibits. Thus, animals are happier in mixed exhibits, even though some suitability may have to be sacrificed. Like, having ostriches and gazelles will make them happier. Having a happy ostrich with 93 suitability is better than a straight-up mad one with one hundred
S: If your guest are unhappy because the only way for the animals to be happy is for them to be behind opaque walls, try inventive ways to let th guests see the animals without the animals seeing them. I can only do this two ways thus far: 1) Use opaque walls, but raise the paths around the exhibit up until you can see one unit of cliff between the path and the top of the wall. This way guests see the animals, because their line of sight is unblocked, but the animals' programming only allow them to see to the sides. It's a good idea to put decor fence around the path, so it doesn't look as dangerous. They won't fall, but I'm a perfectionist. 2) Raise the exhibit up one unit and use short, non-see-through fences (like the short cement wall). The guests still see in, but the animals don't see out. I had pandas breed and suitable with paths outside their exhibit full to bursting with guests! And, even dinos can't escape when the exhibit is raised. Or it might be that I have a fence hack. Either way, this is useful info!