Taming your first dinosaur in ARK: Survival Ascended is the single most important skill you’ll learn as a beginner survivor. Whether you’re knocking out a Parasaur on the beach or passively feeding a Moschops, mastering taming unlocks mounts, resource gatherers, and loyal combat companions — all essential for thriving on The Island.
In ARK: Survival Ascended, every dinosaur falls into one of two core taming categories: Knockout Taming and Passive Taming. Knockout taming requires rendering a creature unconscious through torpor damage, then placing food in its inventory. Passive taming, on the other hand, lets you feed a creature while it remains fully awake — no knockouts needed. Knowing which method applies to your target before you engage is absolutely critical.
Before you attempt your first tame, you’ll need to craft the right tools. To start taming, you need a Bola and a Club to immobilise and knock out dinosaurs, as well as food to feed them. A Bola requires Thatch x10, Stone x3, Fiber x15, and Hide x3. A Club requires Fiber x15 and Wood x4. Unlock these Engrams as early as possible — they are your gateway to your first dino companion.
The Parasaur is widely considered the perfect first tame for new players — easy to knock out, fast enough to outrun early threats, and useful as a pack mule for carrying resources. Locate one on the southern beaches, throw your Bola to root it in place, then strike it with your Club until it falls unconscious. Herbivores like the Parasaur eat Berries, with Mejoberries being the most preferred choice for herbivores.
Once your target creature is unconscious, open its inventory by pressing E while looking at it. Drag and drop its preferred food into the inventory slot. The creature will consume food as its hunger drops, steadily filling the taming progress bar. Watch both the Taming Bar and the Unconscious (Torpor) Bar closely — if the torpor bar hits zero, the dinosaur wakes up and all your progress is lost.
Keeping a knocked-out creature sedated is vital. Use Narcotics instead of Narcoberries whenever possible to keep torpor high and prevent the creature from waking mid-tame. Narcotics must be force-fed by selecting them from within the creature’s inventory. Large creatures drain torpor rapidly, so prepare plenty of supplies — high-level tames may require 200 or more Narcotics to complete successfully.
Taming Effectiveness determines the bonus levels and stat bonuses your dinosaur receives after a successful tame. It starts at 100% and decreases each time the creature eats or takes damage while unconscious. A creature tamed at full 100% Effectiveness receives exactly 50% of its wild level as bonus levels, randomly assigned across its stats. Always avoid hitting the creature while it is unconscious to preserve your Taming Effectiveness.
The food you use has a massive impact on taming speed and effectiveness. Kibble is the gold standard — each dinosaur has a specific kibble type that maximises taming progress. For carnivores, Prime Meat and Mutton (obtainable from the Ovis) dramatically speed up taming compared to regular raw meat. For herbivores, Mejoberries are generally the most effective early-game option. Never feed a carnivore berries or an herbivore meat — doing so tanks both your taming time and effectiveness.
For passive tames like the Moschops or Ichthyosaurus, you must approach the creature calmly and feed it by hand without startling it. Place the preferred food in your last hotbar slot, walk up slowly, and interact when the prompt appears. Some passive tames — especially skittish species — may require Ghillie Armor or Bug Repellant to approach without spooking them. This method removes the need for knockout tools entirely.
Always tame in a safe location. Build a simple stone taming pen — a 2×2 or 3×3 foundation with doorframes stacked three high — to contain your target and block roaming predators. Lure the creature inside, seal the entrance, and tame without interruption. If a predator wanders too close to your unconscious tame, it can quickly end your taming session — and your dinosaur’s life.
As you level up and progress through the game, you’ll unlock far more powerful taming tools. Unlock Narcotics at Level 6, the Bow at Level 11, and Tranquilizer Arrows at Level 21 for longer-range, safer knockouts. Eventually, Tranquilizer Darts and Kibble will let you tame even the most formidable creatures with speed and precision. You can also use a Spyglass early on to check wild creature levels before committing to a tame.
Pro tips for beginner tamers: Always tame near your base so you can resupply quickly. Use a Bola on fast creatures like Raptors before attempting a knockout — it saves enormous trouble early on. Never shoot torpor-inducing weapons too rapidly; torpor has a 4-second application delay, and overshooting can accidentally kill your target. And always use a taming calculator like Dododex to know exactly how much food and Narcotics you’ll need before you start.