Conservation credits are the second currency in Franchise mode, next to normal cash. You earn them by helping wild animals, mostly by releasing animals you've bred back into the wild. A lot of the best animals on the market cost credits instead of cash, and some can only be bought with credits, so you'll want a steady supply.
Ways to earn credits
1. Release groups to wildlife reserves (best)
Releasing a valid group into a reserve gives the most credits, and it also raises biodiversity and can unlock research.
- A warthog female sounder earned 58 credits.
- Releasing a rescued Asian elephant earned 164 credits.
- Hitting a new reserve star can add a bonus (one release paid out an extra 100).
2. Quick release
Select an animal and quick release it to the wild for an instant payout. It's ideal for surplus young males that don't fit a group.
- A young male meerkat: about 12 credits.
- A batch of scorpions: about 21 credits.
- Better animals give more credits, so quick release your worst individuals and keep the best breeders.
3. Conservation projects
From the hub's conservation projects board you can fund projects with cash and lend staff. Examples:
| Cost | Reward |
|---|---|
| $15,000 + 2 educators | 125 credits |
| A mechanic + $22,000 | 46 credits |
| Vets + cash | 35–40 credits |
Staff sent on projects are away temporarily, so hire a cheap one-star educator for this rather than sending your best one. Some projects work the other way and pay cash for credits; those are rarely worth it.
4. Weekly challenges
The conservation projects menu includes a weekly challenge (for example "Animal rescues & sanctuaries"). Completing it, for instance by hiring two vets and paying $7,000, can reward a rescued animal. You can keep it for another zoo or release it immediately for a large credit payout.
5. Breeding "farms"
Small, fast-breeding exhibit species such as scorpions can be kept in a few exhibits backstage, out of guest view, and quick released when they multiply. It works, but exhibits cost money to run, the gains are small, and it can hurt welfare if you let them overcrowd. Releasing real groups to reserves is better value and better for your ratings.
What to spend credits on
- High-quality breeders. A gold-rated male warthog for 120 credits or females for 70 set up a herd that pays you back in releases.
- Unrelated mates you can't find for cash: a young blacktip reef shark for 45 credits and a female for 63 from a different source.
- Animals that are rarely listed for cash.
Don't spend credits on common species that appear for cash every few refreshes. Filter the market to cash only first.
A simple credit plan for a new Franchise zoo
- Start with fast breeders like meerkats, warthogs and aardvarks. They're cheap and have babies quickly.
- Research them so their release groups unlock.
- Open your first wildlife reserve early, even if it's empty, so you can see what it needs.
- Every time a litter grows up, turn it into a release group. Warthog female sounders and meerkat pairs are quick wins.
- Quick release the leftover young males that don't fit a group.
- Do a conservation project whenever you have spare cash and a spare cheap educator.
- Spend credits on breeding stock, such as a gold-rated male, rather than on show animals.
Things that waste credits
- Buying common animals with credits when they appear for cash every few minutes.
- Buying animals with 0% fertility because they looked good.
- Quick releasing your best breeders. Release the weakest animals and keep the good ones breeding.
- Paying credits for cash through reverse conservation projects.