It’s every cave man’s dream to pet all the cuddly leopards and bears in the wild, and Far Cry Primal (read our review here) finally lets you indulge that pre-historic instinct!
While most of the beasts found across Oros are there for hunting and skinning, some of them can instead can be baited and then tamed. You will definitely want an animal companion around, as it makes you much safer while traversing the landscape or assaulting an outpost.
Far Cry Primal Animal Taming Basics
Before taming any beasts, Takkar has to complete the first Tensay mission and recruit him to the Wenja tribe’s base. To unlock skills for taming more impressive creatures, you then have to upgrade Tensay’s hut.
Finding most of the animals isn’t particularly challenging, as the map clearly marks where each type of animal is likely to be found. There is a random element to this mechanic though, so hang out in that region of the map until the animal you are looking for shows up. Certain animal types – such as the Bloodfang Sabretooth – are only accessible in elevated areas after you acquire the grappling claw.
Check your map for animal locations
Using the owl for reconnaissance can greatly cut down on the time spent waiting around, since you can actively find animals from above. Killing off all the other wildlife you come across also seems to increase the chances of a rare version showing up.
For the upgraded rare versions of animals, keep an eye out for a yellow scent trail while you have Hunter Vision active. A few of the rarest and most power animals aren’t available randomly and are instead located in specific hunting side quests, which are noted below.
The scent trail reveals rare animals
To tame an animal, you have to sneak up on them and set down bait. If they notice you, aggressive animals will attack and you’ll have to start over; or they may just flee instead. When you end up having to kill an animal you are trying to tame, go rest for a day and return to the area so it will respawn. Be sure to also head to animal areas at different times, as some creatures – like the tapir – are more prevalent at night.
Below is a full listing of all the animals you can tame and their special skills. For more help in exploring Oros, be sure to also check out:
Dhole
Ability: Skins carcasses and gathers resources after a kill / gathers nearby resources when you’re idle
Stats: Strength 1, Speed 2, Stealth 5
You’ll find these everywhere and while they are useful at the start, dholes really have glass jaws. They get taken out easily, but are very helpful while wandering around the wilderness for automatically gathering plants and skins.
Dhole
Rare Dhole
Ability: Same as base dhole, but also resistant to fire
Stats: Strength 2, Speed 2, Stealth 4
With slightly upgraded stats, the rare dhole can be more helpful in combat situations, but otherwise the only draw is the change in fur color.
Rare Dhole
Wolf
Ability: Growls to warn of nearby enemies, reveals nearby terrain and larger area of minimap
Stats: Strength 1, Speed 3, Stealth 3
Another prevalent animal found all across the environment, the wolf is less strong than you’d expect based on his size and feral appearance, but his special ability is incredibly useful.
Wolf
White Wolf
Ability: Same as regular wolf
Stats: Strength 2, Speed 3, Stealth 3
Essentially just the same as the regular wolf with slighlty upgraded stats, the white wolf of course is also re-skinned for a more interesting appearance.
White Wolf
Rare Striped Wolf
Ability: Same as regular wolf and white wolf but resistant to fire
Stats: Strength 3, Speed 3, Stealth 3
Who doesn’t want an even stronger wolf that takes less fire damage? Grab one of these as soon as you see the tell-tale scent trail!
Rare Striped Wolf
Snowblood Wolf
Ability: Same as the regular wolf
Stats: Strength 4, Speed 3, Stealth 4
Only acquired through a beast master hunt side quest, this is the ultimate wolf form to be tamed in Far Cry Primal and clearly a messy eater as well.
Snowblood Wolf
Jaguar
Ability: Attacks unsuspecting targets without alerting nearby enemies
Stats: Strength 2, Speed 4, Stealth 5
The jaguar is the stealth companion used for taking down outposts without alerting everyone. If you don’t prefer the frontal assault approach, get yourself a jaguar.
Jaguar
Rare Black Jaguar
Ability: Same as normal jaguar but also resistant to fire
Stats: Strength 3, Speed 4, Stealth 5
Upgraded from the regular jaguar, this is the ultimate stealth animal. If you don’t want those other tribes to know you were there before taking them down silently with arrow or spear, this is the companion to choose.
Rare Black Jaguar
Leopard
Ability: Automatically tags nearby enemies
Stats: Strength 3, Speed 4, Stealth 4
A very solid all around companion, the leopard has both great stats and a great special ability that ensures you won’t lose track of enemies.
Leopard
Cave Lion
Ability: Automatically tags nearby enemies
Stats: Strength 3, Speed 3, Stealth 3
The poor man’s leopard, the cave lion is nonetheless still useful for the same reasons as the previous animal.
Cave Lion
Rare Black Cave Lion
Ability: Automatically tags nearby enemies and resistant to fire
Stats: Strength 4, Speed 3, Stealth 3
If you want a strong companion with the tagging skill, be on the lookout for the yellow scent trail while Hunter Vision is active and try to tame one of these with your bait.
Black Cave Lion
Badger
Ability: Revives itself after death, keeps other animals away, and immune to poison
Stats: Strength 3, Speed 1, Stealth 3
These little monsters are just the worst. They’re incredibly ungrateful, and they bite you when you try to pet them.
Badger
Brown Bear
Ability: Draws enemy attacks, gathers resources while idle, and can be ridden with Beast Rider skill
Stats: Strength 4, Speed 3, Stealth 2
The bears are essentially your front line damage soakers, as your enemies will target the bear first and ignore you.
Brown Bear
Cave Bear
Ability: Draws enemy attacks
Stats: Strength 5, Speed 3, Stealth 1
There’s absolutely no stealth capability here, but who needs it when you have a gigantic bear ripping them an enemy camp?
Cave Bear
Great Scar Bear
Ability: Draws enemy attacks
Stats: Strength 5, Speed 2, Stealth 2
Only acquired through a beast master hunt, this is the final bear to be found in Far Cry Primal, and it’s clear from his appearance that he’s survived more battles than Takkar ever will.
Great Scar Bear
Sabretooth Tiger
Ability: Can be ridden with the Beast Rider skill
Stats: Strength 4, Speed 5, Stealth 3
Tigers are the fastest animal companions, so if you want to get around a large area without using fast travel points, these are the beasts you want.
Sabretooth Tiger
Bloodfang Sabretooth
Ability: Can be ridden with the Beast Rider skill
Stats: Strength 5, Speed 5, Stealth 3
Only acquired through a beast master hunt, this is easily one of the best animals in the game in terms of strength, speed, and riding ability.
Bloodfang Sabretooth
Have any tips on perfect spots for always finding each animal or any strategies for using them in combat? Let us know in the comments section!
