ANABARRU DOWNS NT 🇦🇺 🐃 🐊 - A Top End Adventure

[subtle herald]

While the Emerald Coast was a fantastic and long-awaited addition to COTW, as an Aussie I still think there's a lot of potential for additional Australian maps to be added to the game. I'd absolutely adore a new map based in arid Australia, probably the most popular suggestion for a second Aus map, but one idea I think people are underappreciating the potential of is a reserve that more properly focuses in on tropical Australia, and more specifically the Top End, one of the country's most popular and renowned hunting destinations. So, here's my take on the concept! Think of it almost as an improved version of Piccabeen Bay from theHunter Classic, featuring a greatly expanded cast of species and a more accurate portrayal of the Top End landscape.

**ANABARRU DOWNS NT**

*At the top of down under lies one of Australia's wildest frontiers, a land of thundering buffalo and monstrous reptiles governed by the savage cycle of the tropical monsoon. Anabarru Downs, located in the heart of the rugged "Top End", allows hunters to experience an authentic North Australian hunting experience, featuring spectacular time-worn landscapes and some of the continent's most impressive and dangerous animals. Journey across expansive floodplains, sweltering paperbark forests and ancient escarpment country whilst encountering wildlife ranging in size from diminutive ducks and feral cats to giant buffalo, banteng and scrub bulls - the sheer variety of animals on offer makes Anabarru Downs sure to appeal to the tastes of any hunter. But beware around water, for in the murky depths patrols a new Great One that's sure to send chills down the spine of even the most experienced big game hunters.*

**SPECIES:**
RETURNING
Magpie Goose - Class 1
Feral Pig - Class 5
Sambar - Class 7
Saltwater Crocodile ![z_greatonep](https://cdn.discordapp.com/emojis/1202543110916415518.webp?size=128 "z_greatonep") - Class 8
Banteng - Class 9
Water Buffalo - Class 9
NEW
Hardhead - Class 1
Wandering Whistling Duck - Class 1
Plumed Whistling Duck - Class 1
Grey Teal - Class 1
Pacific Black Duck - Class 1
Feral Cat - Class 2
Dingo - Class 3
Feral Donkey - Class 7
Brumby - Class 8
Scrub Bull - Class 9

6 returning species, 10 new species, 16 species total

**MISSIONS:**
Anabarru Downs was once a cattle station, but nowadays it largely operates as a wildlife reserve turned tourism destination, with several campsites and lodges spread out across the property that allow visitors to properly experience this spectacular part of the country. You've been hired by one of the reserve managers, having heard about your hunting expertise, to assist in the control of feral animals in the area to ensure the natural heritage value of the property is maintained, while also running a few errands on the side. However, things take a turn for the worst when tragedy strikes Anabarru Downs - a fisherman at one of the more remote campsites has been taken by a massive crocodile, and now that it's learnt to associate humans with food, it's up to you to find and euthanise the animal before someone else falls victim to the same terrible fate. The story missions end when, after several failed attempts, you manage to kill the diamond crocodile responsible for the fisherman's death.

**RESERVE HIGHLIGHTS:**
- Diverse range of tropical habitats
- A great map for waterfowl hunters
- The long-awaited addition of Australia's iconic dingo
- First equines added to COTW
- Large diversity of big game, including the most class 8 and 9 species of any map
- Small tweaks to certain returning species, such as correct sounds for the magpie goose and swimming capabilities added to the water buffalo
- Saltwater crocodile Great One - for a map like this there's just no way the new Great One *couldn't* be the saltie

I'll post some information regarding the environments of Anabarru Downs below, and then I'll get to more concepts on the animals and Great One when I have the time

ENVIRONMENTS OF ANABARRU DOWNS:
Tropical floodplains (images 1-3): The most widespread and biodiverse of Anabarru's ecosystems, tropical floodplains cover about a third of the reserve and are home to its largest congregations of waterfowl, buffalo, pigs and giant crocodiles. However, most species on Anabarru make their home on the floodplains in one way or another, making it truly a mecca for hunters of all kinds. Just try not getting stuck in the mud, trampled by a buffalo or eaten by a crocodile!

Paperbark forests and swamps (image 4): Adjacent to the floodplains are expansive stands of paperbark forest, which in some places can be just as swampy and flooded as the wetlands themselves. There's less crocodiles and waterfowl than out of the floodplains, but water buffalo and pigs remain in full force.

Savannah woodlands (images 5-6): Further away from the floodplains are the drier savannah woodlands, a monotonous landscape dominated by pandanus and eucalyptus trees broken up only by the occasional river or sandstone escarpment. While most animals here don’t occur in densities as high as they do on the floodplains, it does have its own specialties, such as the largest populations of scrub bulls, feral donkeys and feral cats found anywhere on the reserve.

Sandstone escarpments (images 7-8): The eastern half of Anabarru is dotted with ancient sandstone escarpment country, imposing rocky features that jut up erratically from the otherwise flat landscape. Some of the larger escarpments in the northeast are able to be climbed, and at their top lie rugged scrubby plataeus home to large numbers of feral cats and dingoes.

Monsoonal rainforest (image 9): Perhaps the most limited habitat on Anabarru, patches of vine thickets and dry monsoonal rainforest grow at the foot of sandstone escarpment and adjacent to some wetlands and rivers. These forests are dense and tricky to navigate, and many animals use them as resting zones to stay hidden from predators. They are especially favoured by the elusive sambar deer.

[subtle herald]

ANABARRU DOWNS NT 🇦🇺 🐃 🐊 - A Top End Adventure

[earnest chasm]

Pretty decent, mate

[subtle herald]

Animal spotlight:
WATERFOWL
Let's start with the waterfowl! With its extensive floodplains and paperbark swamps, it's no surprise that Anabarru Downs is a fantastic reserve for waterfowl hunters, thanks not only to the diversity of species present, but also their sheer abundance. For no species is this more true than the magpie goose (Anseranas semipalmata), the avian icon of northern Australia, which occurs in such high numbers out on the floodplains that they constitute the most abundant animal on the map. Different flocks will come together to feed and rest in the same areas, leading to massive boisterous congregations that can sometimes number hundreds of geese. The return of magpie geese also gives an opportunity for the devs to update them to use authentic magpie geese sounds - the honking call of the magpie goose is iconic, and captured well in theHunter Classic, but unfortunately for whatever reason they just make greylag goose noises in COTW, which is really immersion breaking for me personally.

Anabarru Downs is also home to five species of duck, all new additions with this new reserve. The most common of the ducks, nearly as abundant as the magpie geese and occurring in congregations on the floodplains that can be almost as large, are the two species of whistling duck, the plumed whistling duck (Dendrocygna eytoni) and wandering whistling duck (Dendrocygna arcuata). From afar the two species look and sound similar, but at close proximity their differences become clear - the plumed whistling duck is probably the most striking duck species on the reserve, with its namesake feathery plumes emerging from under the wings, whilst the wandering whistling duck is darker in colouration and has much shorter plumes than their close relative. Both species can gather in the same areas, so make sure to scan flocks carefully!

Of the remaining three duck species, the Pacific black duck (Anas superciliosa) occurs at the highest densities, though it does not gather in anywhere near the numbers that magpie geese or whistling ducks do. Probably the most common and familiar duck species in Australia, they somewhat resemble a female mallard in appearance but are much darker and possess more striking facial patterns, and can be found in most waterways across Anabarru Downs. The same is true of the grey teal (Anas gracilis), a smaller patternless cousin of the black duck, but they only occur on low numbers on the floodplains and instead are much more common on some of the surrounding rivers. The most range restricted of the ducks on Anabarru is the hardhead (Aythya australis), which occurs only in the southern parts of the floodplains, though they are still common where they occur. A much richer brown colour than either the black duck or teal, they are also the only waterfowl on the reserve with obvious differences between male and female, with the males possessing a stark white eye.

Update: Crocodilian waterfowl spook radius
While being chock full of ducks and geese is all well and good, the same areas that the waterfowl congregate in on Anabarru Downs also tend to be home to very large populations of saltwater crocodiles. Of course, under the current system where waterfowl are very easily spooked by crocodiles and alligators this would cause a ton of headaches, as it does with hunting magpie geese in the mangroves on Emerald Coast. However, not only is the distance at which birds are spooked by crocodilians in the game inconvenient, it's also unrealistic - in real life, waterfowl don't flee every time a crocodile is in a 100 metre radius of them, otherwise in many waterways in northern Australia they wouldn't even be able to land! Thus, in the interests of both gameplay and realism, the distance at which crocodiles spook waterfowl would be greatly reduced in the update alongside Anabarru Downs, with birds becoming wary of them when they get within 20 metres or so and spooking around the 10 metre mark. This would also make watching the alertness status of birds a good way to judge where hidden crocodiles are out on the floodplains!

Some examples of big magpie goose and whistling duck flocks from IRL to show the kind of congregations I'm imagining out on the floodplains (of course, due to engine restraints they probably couldn't have quite this many animals in the one spot in-game, but it gives the idea)

And here's a video of real life magpie geese for those who are unaware what they sound like in life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb8UZ2bFyrI

[gilded jay]

The Northern Territory is a good setting for a reserve that introduces a Great One Saltwater Croc, plus I did notice the inclusion of the Sambar, I think its a nice touch considering that there are apparently Sambar in the area. All those waterfowl species are also nice inclusions. While Camels would have been nice, the species roster you put together is pretty fantastic

[slate badger]

This does sound cool but I’d like to see at least one kind of macropod on the map. Scrub bulls would be awesome though

[subtle herald]

Thanks! I'd love to have camels in the game, but they wouldn't fit this reserve given it's based specifically on the tropical parts of the NT, while dromedaries of course live in desert regions

[subtle herald]

Agile wallabies would be a possibility, but to my knowledge they're only hunted by traditional owners and I tried to keep the roster restricted to species that are more broadly available to hunt IRL (for example, all the ducks are species that are legal to be hunted in the Northern Territory). The biggest departures from this are salties and dingoes, both of which are protected in the NT, but they fit well enough given they are culled in certain circumstances where they endanger people or livestock (which I imagine was also the justification for including salties on Emerald Coast).

[gilded jay]

Speaking of Marcopods, the only ones that could work based on their presence are Antilopine Kangaroo (first image), Agile Wallaby (second image) and Common Wallaroo (third image), I did exclude the Black Wallaroo simply because they have such a limited distribution

[gilded jay]

I included Tundra Swan on my Arctic Reserve Idea ( #1070045518002147458 ) even though the hunting of swans in the Canadian Arctic is restricted to indigenous hunters, I guess the reasoning being that the player character has special permission to hunt the swans (some of the side mission ideas involve hunting animals to help indigenous communities)

But I can understand wanting to keep the species list more realistic with IRL Hunting, and since this is set in the Northern Territory, I do recall an attempt a few years back at opening saltwater crocs to hunters from other countries in the Northern Territory partially due to the large population (So far the only country that allows it is Malaysia, and more specifically on Borneo Island)

[slate badger]

I believe that the antilopine kangaroo is hunted but I’m not to sure I don’t live there.

[subtle herald]

Yeah it’s a reasonable justification, and incorporating it into the side missions is a clever idea. It’s just not what I’d prioritise for this reserve (especially given I’m trying to keep the roster to a realistic size), though if we did get a macropod on a map like this I wouldn’t be complaining!

IMO the best map to introduce a bunch of new macropods would be an arid map - red kangaroo, common wallaroo and western grey kangaroo would all fit there, species that are hunted commercially in large numbers. Chuck those in with dromedaries and dingoes and you’ve got a banging map. That’s not the subject of this thread though of course

[subtle herald]

Animal spotlight:
FERAL CAT
The Top End is so far north that is lucky enough to be free of one of Australia's worst feral menaces, the red fox - it is simply too hot, too humid and too tropical for them to survive. However, the same unfortunately cannot be said for that other cunning invasive predator, the feral cat (Felis catus), which has come to occupy 99% of the continent and is widespread across the whole of the north. They cause enormous problems on Anabarru Downs, decimating the populations of small native mammals like northern brown bandicoots, northern quolls and black-footed tree-rats, and so they are one of the species the property's managers are most keen for you to target.

While extraordinarily adaptable, it is well known that most cats aren't fond of water, and so they generally only occur on the drier outskirts of the floodplains and paperbark forests and avoid the swampier areas - good news for the many waterbirds that depend on these wetlands to breed. However, they do occur in great numbers in other habitats on Anabarru Downs, especially the savannah woodlands and sandstone escarpments that present perfect habitat for these open-country hunters. Despite their abundance, you may have difficulty spotting them, for not only are they small and keep to denser vegetation, but they are also among the most alert and wary of the reserve's game species, and quick to run if you're not careful. Combine this with the fact they only drink late at night, and they certainly present a challenging hunt.

Nonetheless, cat-hunting can still be very rewarding, for not only are you doing a great service by removing these animals from the ecosystem, but they also display a very large degree of variation in colours and patterns that ensures hunting them always remains interesting. A multitude of different tabby varieties, including mackerel, blotched and spotted tabby in brown, grey and ginger variants, are the most common furs you will encounter, but other uncommon and rare variants include black, white, calico, tortoiseshell, piedbald and albino.

[subtle herald]

Animal spotlight:
DINGO
Simultaneously one of the most iconic and most controversial Australian animals, the dingo (Canis lupus dingo) is the largest mammalian predator in the country. Brought to Australia by humans long ago, it nonetheless now appears to fill an important ecological role as an apex predator, regulating the numbers of herbivores and smaller carnivores and increasing biodiversity. For this reason the owners of Anabarru Downs like having the dingoes around, considering them an important part of the local landscape, but their decision to open up the reserve to visitors has led to some unfortunate complications. Despite their best efforts to deter campers from feeding the wild dogs, many of the dingoes on the property have become bolder and less wary of people thanks to being fed handouts by visitors, and this has led to increased incidents of dingoes acting aggressively towards humans. It's only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt, and so the managers of Anabarru Downs have had a permit issued so that some of the dingoes on the reserve can be culled.

Dingoes are almost something of a middle ground between coyotes and wolves, and this is also reflected by how they function in-game. They vary greatly in pack size - pairs or trios are most common, but they can also be found in packs of up to 9 individuals, and sometimes alone. When solitary or in pairs they're invariably shy and will run when approached, but packs of three or more dogs will, on occasion, turn aggressive towards the hunter, though at a lower frequency than grey or Iberian wolves. Dingoes are much weaker than wolves, only being class 3, but their greater speed and agility, as well as their smaller size, makes them more difficult to land a successful hit on, so a large pack can still provide quite a challenge for any unprepared hunter.

The most widespread animal on Anabarru Downs, dingoes may be found in all of the reserve's varied habitats, from the floodplains to the sandstone escarpments. They will often be seen chasing feral cats, sambar and especially feral pigs, which constitute their favourite prey. The most common variants are the classic ginger and tan, but they also come in a variety of other furs, with black-and-tan, sable and cream being uncommon whilst pure black, patchy and brindle are rare.

[subtle herald]

Animal spotlight:
FERAL PIG
Anabarru Downs would be the fourth map to feature the feral pig/wild hog (Sus scrofa), and no doubt it'd be the best in the game for hog hunting! With the floodplains and paperbark swamps constituting perfect habitat for large hordes of swine, they are one of Anabarru Down's worst pests, and absolutely prolific in the flooded parts of the map. They occur in good numbers in the savannahs and monsoon rainforests too, however they avoid the sandstone escarpment country as they're not built to traverse such rough, dry terrain. The abundance of pigs is probably what's responsible for the reserve's croc population being so high, with many of the bigger crocodiles eating little else but pigs and the odd water buffalo calf.

[subtle herald]

Animal spotlight:
SAMBAR
While populations of feral deer are currently expanding rapidly in many parts of southern and eastern Australia, they're surprisingly rare in the north. The Northern Territory is home to two species of deer, but of these, the Javan rusa occurs only on a few offshore islands, leaving the sambar (Rusa unicolor) as the only species on the mainland, and therefore also the only species present on Anabarru Downs. Sambar only colonised the property in recent times and are much rarer than they are on the Emerald Coast, but by contrast this makes them more rewarding to hunt. Populations are mostly centred around areas of monsoonal rainforest that provide the dense cover the species prefers, though they will venture out into open areas to feed in the morning and evening, leading to better opportunities for hunters. The sambar would receive some minor model touch-ups alongside the release of Anabarru Downs to make it more realistic, as currently the way the model is proportioned makes it look smaller and less impressive than it actually is (they're the third largest deer and only slightly smaller than wapiti/elk).

[earnest chasm]

Would be cool if dingoes had 'hybrid' as one of its fur types