Marble Mud Ranch
The Marble Mud Ranch is the biggest zoological collection in the Mudlands of Mars. They tend to over six hundred species, ten thousand individual animals, with over a hundred staff members working tirelessly to provide unique enrichment and conserve hundreds of endangered creatures.
This facility has been in function for the past two hundred and fifty years. Conservation has only become a trend in recent years, and the effort to save endangered species is still a foreign topic for most martians.
What do you mean it's our fault mud whales are going extinct? If they can't survive that's a them issue.
History
Early Days
The Marble Mud Ranch was founded by brothers Emi and Marin Uhber, residents of the Mudlands. Having grown up around local farms and nature reserves, they were no stranger to the unique wildlife of the region. Unlike their family, the brothers cared deeply for all creatures large and small, drawing a particular interest towards the rare and endangered.
Don't forget what we're doing for this community. Nobody else is doing what we're doing. And look! People keep giving us money to keep our little barn going. This could turn into a real thing, a real business.
When they were teenagers, the brothers had saved up enough money to purchase a small portion of land off their family farm, transforming it into a small barn to support rescued local wildlife. Other farmers in the region would often bring their animals to be healed. Emi was an amateur zoomancer and could communicate with several animal species, particularly domesticated animals. Marin was more technologically inclined, able to figure out the best medicines and ailments to provide each and every patient.
As word spread about this tiny rehabilitation barn, members of the public chipped in to donate money to support the business. When the brothers became adults, they were able to purchase their own land and construct a bigger facility for their operations. They named this business the Marble Mud Ranch, after the pair of marble mud ducks the brothers owned as children.
Ranch Expansion
Over time, the ranch expanded into further pastures, to provide their larger animals with adequate space to roam. Clayfoot deer were always a common creature to be brought to the ranch for rehabilitation; these domestic animals are prone to bone fractures and breaks.
Emi was the first to venture into the world of exotic animals, purchasing a trio of rico peacocks, glamorous birds adorned with gold and silver feathers. This brought them a fair bit of attention, people coming to visit the ranch just to admire these birds, native to far away lands.
With the extra money from tourist donations, Emi continued to acquire more exotic creatures from other collections around the region while Marin held down the fort rehabilitating local wildlife and domestic animals.
The ranch had acquired over a hundred exotic species fifteen years after its founding, with a steady stream of visitors that supported the business and more, giving it plenty of financial room to expand even further. At this point, the ranch also had a small team of staff members, to maintain these animals and their welfare, as well as to continue its rehabilitation program.
Both Eri and Marin passed away in the same year, in 2893. They died age 70 and 72 respectively, considerably young for martians. During their lifetimes, both brothers had been awarded several accolades for their work in animal rehabilitation and conservation, an untapped industry at the time.
The ranch was succeeded by Marin's daughter, Chrysantha. She followed in his father and uncle's footsteps, working to expand the Marble Mud Ranch. Her goal was to turn it into the biggest zoological collection in the Mudlands, and eventually, the entire planet.
With her expertise, she quadrupled the number of unique species kept at the ranch, and aided in bringing back more than twenty species from the brink of extinction. Her work was recognised by the A to Zoo, the Yonderverse's largest animal sanctuary, with just under four hundred trillion species.
Chrysantha has now retired as manager of the ranch, however still living on-site. She regularly wanders the ranch and talks to visitors about her experiences in the animal industry, as people listen in awe at her riveting stories that may or may not be true.
Did you know I once wrestled a sixteen foot sacken crocodile? Bit my arm off....you still have two arms.Oh, yeah. Erm...
Species Collection
The Marble Mud Ranch features a wide array of species, from a handful of small invertebrates to large carnivorous mammals and birds. Most are exotic animals, native to other regions, while around fifteen percent are native to the Mudlands. The ranch is famous for its free-roaming marble mud ducks. These typically territorial birds are extremely friendly on ranch grounds, often waddling up to tourists and pecking ankles and shoes until they recieve food or head pats. Keepers don't discourage this behaviour.
A recent addition to the ranch are a pair of mirehorns. These predatory buffalos are not native to Mars, instead to Norrab, a planet in an entirely different solar system. Acquiring these animals set a new precedent for zoological collections on Mars. Now that collections were starting to bring in species from other planets, the sky was no longer the limit - space was.
The ranch also prides itself on unique and rare species that few visitors are familiar with. Animals such as golden grison and scattering touta are known to few, and the ranch aims to educate more people on the more elusive creatures of the Mudlands.
Golden Grison
These peculiar mustelids are native to the southern areas of the Mudlands. Little is known about them, as they avoid all unnecessary contact with martians.Scattering Touta
Scattering touta are tropical schoolfish. They frequent the muddy swampwaters, elegant specks of light flickering as they dart between reeds.Moison
Moisons are opportunistic hunters. They are known to prey on weak, feeble martians. They rarely get this chance, but enjoy the hunt.Martian Nautilus
This subspecies of chambered nautilus is near identical to its Earth counterparts. Unlike those on Earth, martian nautiluses are abundant.Egg Bomber
The ranch's botanical gardens see egg bombers fluttering around. These giant butterflies shoot eggs when threatened, with a silky, messy explosion.Marble Mud Duck
With a swirling black, white, and brown plumage, marble mud ducks stick out like a sore thumb in the Mudlands. They bark and scream to scare away threats.Mirehorns are apex predators on their home planet. These ones are so... calm? It's scary. Something in the air must be messing with their heads.
I would love to pat a marble mud duck :D
I'm sure the ranch would let you!