How to Tame Baby Dinosaurs in ARK: Survival Ascended

In ARK: Survival Ascended, baby dinosaurs can be tamed. While it’s a bit cruel to take a youngling away from its family just because they’re cute, I simply can’t help myself, and I know you won’t be able to either.

The taming process could not be more different from taming any adult dinosaur in ARK: Survival Ascended. Plus, taking in a tiny dinosaur is a whole new level of responsibility. Before embarking on this adventure, make sure you’ve got your game face on and enough food to keep your new baby dino well-fed. In this guide, I’ll show you the ropes for taming wild baby creatures in ARK: Survivor Ascended.

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How to Claim a Wild Baby Dinosaur in ARK: Survival Ascended

Before going for your first baby creature, stock up on food. Make sure you know if it’s a herbivore or carnivore, too. If you don’t feed it properly and throw it something like a Sweet Vegetable Cake when it actually wants a meaty steak, it can lead to a tragic end. You don’t want that on your conscience.

Already got your eye on a baby dinosaur in ARK: Survival Ascended? You’ll know they’re ready to be tamed when they have a pacifier icon next to their names. If they don’t have this, they can’t be tamed, so keep on looking.

The first step in taming the baby is to spot the parent. Look for a grown-up version of the little dino. It should have a heart icon above the creature’s name. To claim the baby dinosaur, the parent must be killed. It’s sad, but true. We felt bad about this the first time, but then we had our own tame dinosaur, so that guilt quickly faded.

However, you should completely clear out any other dino of the same species nearby. This ensures you won’t have to fend off multiple attackers when claiming the baby. It turns out that the parents usually have friends, and they’re not thrilled about what you’re doing. Remember, ARK: Survival Ascended is a pretty accurate dinosaur life simulator, right down to the emotional anguish.

With the parent gone, the baby will sprint away. Catch up and press ‘E’ to claim it. Quickly open its inventory with ‘F’ and feed it berries or meat to prevent starvation. This is important because all that work will be for nothing without food.

As the baby matures, you must keep it safe from other wild creatures. It will follow you, but you’re now its parent, and its survival depends on you. Keep an eye on its health and food and protect it from whatever other beasts you decide you’re going to take on in the insane world of ARK: Survival Ascended.