How to find and tame Thylacoleo in Ark: Survival Ascended

Always look up.

A Thylacoleo climbing down a massive tree in Ark: Survival Ascended.
Image via Studio Wildcard

If you want a break from the many dinosaurs present in Ark: Survival Ascended, there are lots of other kinds of creatures you can catch too. The Thylacoleo is one such creature you may want to try to find and befriend.

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Once you get a Thylacoleo on your side, you have consistent access to a pretty good mount. Because of this, you need to know how to find and tame Thylacoleo in Ark: Survival Ascended.

All Thylacoleo Island locations in Ark: Survival Ascended

Thylacoleo Island locations in Ark: Survival Ascended
They love climbing trees. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Thylacoleo can be found all around the middle of the map on the island, which is the redwoods area. They are pretty common and can be found all around the center of the island climbing up and down the massive trees as long as you’re in the area marked above.

The best way to find one is to loop around the redwoods area since their population is very dense around this region. They’re usually located very high up in trees, which means they may pounce down to the ground quite suddenly. This also means you should try to regularly look up to spot them since they’re usually climbing around.

All Thylacoleo Scorched Earth locations in Ark: Survival Ascended

Thylacoleo Scorched Earth locations in Ark: Survival Ascended.
There are a few spots to check. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Although they may be a bit less common on Scorched Earth, you can find Thylacoleo near the eastern edges of the map. No matter where they are, Thylacoleo loves to climb, which means you always want to be looking up for them so you don’t end up being surprised by one attacking you.

How to tame a Thylacoleo in Ark: Survival Ascended

The best way to tame a Thylacoleo in Ark: Survival Ascended is to lure it down to the ground and try to trap it. The first step in this process is setting up some kind of trap you can lead the Thylacoleo to.

There are many different ways you can go about this process, but I usually choose to place a Bear Trap down and surround all sides but one with an item I can navigate past but the Thylacoleo can’t. This includes items like Metal Pillars, Metal Billboard, or any other such construction you can easily slip past.

Once the trap is ready, you need to lure the Thylacoleo to it. If the Thylacoleo you’re after is up in a tree, start by shooting at it to try to get it down on the ground to even the playing field.

The Thylacoleo Dossier page in Ark: Survival Ascended.
It’s an aggressive creature, so you need to be careful. Image via Studio Wildcard

You really don’t want to try to fight one while it’s up in a tree as it’s far too easy for a Thylacoleo to jump down, regardless of whether you’re on a ground or flying mount, and knock you down. Because of this, the best move is to try and lure it down to the ground by shooting at it from a safe distance away.

Once you have the Thylacoleo in the trap, you can then tame it using food. The best options are Cooked Lamb Chop and Cooked Prime Meat. Most meats work decently, but these two are by far the best options. Although Kibble is great for many other creatures like the Lymantria Desert Moth and Thorny Dragon, you don’t want to use that here.

Author
Image of Kacee Fay
Kacee Fay
Staff Writer at Dot Esports covering new releases and a wide array of topics including Minecraft, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Phasmophobia, general gaming, streaming, and more. She has been avidly writing and gaming her whole life and now spends her time combining the two. Kacee graduated from San Diego State University in 2021 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English and a Certificate in Creative Editing and Publishing. She then joined Dot Esports as a Freelance Writer in 2022 before transitioning to a Staff Writer in 2023. In her spare time, she enjoys buying more books than she can read, gaming alone or with friends, drinking too much tea, attending concerts, fangirling over movies and television, listening to music, and spending time with her family, friends, and pets, who are the most important parts of her world.