THQ has announced that it is to bring a sequel to the zoo management simulation Zoo Tycoon to the Nintendo DS in early 2008, reports CVG. We imagine that the publisher says its decision was based on something like “the massive success of the original.” They always say that and we just can’t figure out why…Hmm.

Zzzzzzoo Tycoon 2?

Apparently the game will boast a number of gameplay improvements over the original, while the meat and potatoes (or should that be lion’s share?) of the title’s gameplay elements will remain true to the original - design and build a zoo and fill it with wild and wonderful animals from around the globe.

New modes include Zookeeper (the ability to view and manage the livelihood of your zoo’s inhabitants in 3D) and the intriguingly named Zoo Director mode. If that’s not enough to get your I’ve-dreamed-of-running-a-zoo-all-my-life-but-I’m-allergic-to-fur adrenalin pumping, there’s also the promise of new animals and environments.

Sadly the original Zoo Tycoon for the Nintendo DS (released in 2005) was met with a mixed (mostly bad) reception, with complaints of poor touch screen implementation and poor graphics. Hopefully the years in between will have given time for a marked improvement.

Personally, we’re looking forward to touching and playing with animal poo with the stylus.