The 'Sanctuary of Rebirth', as it is often called by natives, is a large park located in one of the artificial islands in the 3rd Mercantile District, with a few wide boulevards criss-crossed by a large number of meandering streets, alleys and footpaths which take visitors to the sanctuary's many exhibits. One of the most well-known wildlife sanctuaries in the World of Dreams, the Sanctuary of Rebirth holds both some species that survived the extensive world-crafting process (most of them aquatic animals, many poorly known), and species that are now highly endangered or even extinct in the wild, for which conservation, breeding and controlled reintroduction programmes such as those implemented here are the only hope of continued survival.
The sanctuary is roughly divided in 3 sections - the Aerie, the Grounds and the Depths, roughly dedicated to flying, terrestrial and burrowing, and underwater animals, respectively - although given the various climatization and environmental needs of the many species protected in the sanctuary, each area is further subdivided in regions.
To give visitors a more natural and immersive experience, the three sections are not completely separated - rather, they are intertwined and even overlap in a few areas. This makes it possible possible to cross from one section to the other relatively easily at a number of places, and allows visiting routes to be both flexible and tailor to the interests of specific visitors or groups, while keeping the artificial environments as close as possible to an illusion of naturalness.
As the planet's original native fauna included many burrowing animals, areas in the 'Grounds' section include not only the usual enclosures for terrestrial beasts, but also many underground glass tunnels which circle beneath and around some of the enclosures. Often it is hard to readily see much in these areas, as the tunnels are kept in low, red light to avoid disturbing the animals and these are often burrowing far from the limits of their enclosures. However, walking through these "underground alleyways" makes for an interesting and, for many, unexpected experience, as the acoustics and climatisation of these tunnels lets visitors experience some of the underground home of the endangered beasts protected in the sanctuary. Some of the most popular species found in the Grounds include the Rainbow Pangolin, the Star-tail Mole-Armadillo, the curious lunged Digging Nautilus and the social, restless and surprisingly smart All-hearing Burrowing Adder (lovingly called by some of the Sanctuary's researchers as Adder-All).
The Aerie includes a variety of subregions, including artificial forests, hills and wetlands, as well as a particularly loved beachside area where visitors can see a number of shore-living flying beasts. The animals in the Aerie include a number of the bird-like and mammal-like flying beasts, some of which still populate the planet's gardens, as well as a sizable collection of the surviving true birds which the world-crafting processes all but eliminated from the planet. The Sanctuary's breeding programmes for some of these animals are particularly famous throughout the World of Dreams. Lucky (and wealthy) visitors may find here a chance to get their hands on one of these rare birds. Even more well-known and loved is the Sanctuary's Spine Drake breeding and training programme, which has been one of the main contributors to the conservation efforts for this species. While deep pockets are certainly a necessary condition to adopt a Spine Drake, a display of the prospective tutor's knowledge, skills and/or good intentions for the animal are also necessary before the researchers and trainers responsible for the programme will agree to the adoption, as they are proud and protective of their little beasts.
The Depths are a collection of tanks, ponds and aquariums, a few surrounded by vegetation-covered alleys, while most are criss-crossed by glass tunnels that sometimes reach deep enough to be illuminated only by rare red-light lamps. Although some species threatened by overfishing are found here, unlike the Aerie and the Grounds, most of the animals here still exist in the wild - in fact, the Depths mostly serve as a window into some of the world's surprising and in many cases still poorly known underwater life. One of the most remarkable and well-liked species found here is the Pearlescent Tiger Squid, which turns the otherwise dark tunnels near its exhibit into a show of colours for those lucky enough to see it up close during their visit.
An attentive visitor will notice that a large part of the sanctuary is not accessible to visitors. In part, this is expected - all sanctuaries and zoos have a variety of service areas away from the public's eyes. Some, however, wonder what these areas may hide about the sanctuary's many research programmes, and wonder what these may involve besides the well-known conservation, breeding and repopulation projects.
Location Rules: The Sanctuary of Rebirth is open from Mid Morning to Early Night. Those interested in adopting a Spiny Drake can get information on the conditions to do so by talking to the Spiny Drake Centre staff. Do keep in mind that, as a highly endangered species, Spiny Drakes cannot be taken off-world, as this would undermine conservation efforts.
Souvenirs available in the Gift Shop:
- Beasts of the Grounds Gummies - 3 zeni
- Beasts of the Aerie Gummies - 3 zeni
- Beasts of the Depths Gummies - 3 zeni
- Simple T-Shirt featuring one of the Sanctuary's animals - 3 bu
- Plastic keychain (for keys or communicator shell) featuring one of the sanctuary’s animals - 3 bu
- Small-sized plushie (5” or 13cm) of one of the Sanctuary's animals - 3 bu
- Medium-sized plushie (10” or 25 cm) of one of the Sanctuary's animals - 1 koku