The Complete Guide to Feeding Every Animal in BotW
You’ve probably heard you can feed horses carrots and apples in Breath of the Wild. You probably also know that you can feed dogs at stables, and they’ll lead you to treasure. That’s child’s play. Have you ever fed a squirrel or a mountain goat? Have you ever wondered how people manage to stack 500+ hours in a single BotW playthrough?
Fire up the teleprompter. Here comes some breaking news:
You can offer tasty treats to nearly every animal in Breath of the Wild. It’s true! All it takes is a set of Shiekah stealth armor and a little background knowledge of which foods appeal to each animal. So buckle up. I’m about to transform you from a barbaric Hylian who bombs enough trees to paint a frown on the Lorax’s face to an anti-deforestation stiff who can whisper to the woodland creatures better than a Disney princess!
Or you can use this information to bait animals and hunt them, I suppose. That seems more practical. Be warned! I’ll tap into your subconscious and call you a heartless monster every time you do it.
Quick Tips for Feeding The Wildlife in BotW
What not to do:
- Whistling does not help lure animals toward food piles. The skittish animals will run, and the aggressive animals will chase you for a literal eternity. I spent over ten minutes sneaking around a tree with a bear, and the furry foe never quite gave up trying to sniff me out.
- Camping at a fire won’t respawn animals that you’ve frightened.
- Don’t rely too heavily on the Hyrule compendium! It mentions each animal’s favorite foods, but lore aside, the listings aren’t 100% accurate. The compendium is reliable for tracking down animal locations, despite not including all regions they spawn.
Pro tips:
- Dropping food from a higher point than the target helps keep Link from being spotted, especially in the Hebra region, where stealth armor isn’t a viable option and mountains are plentiful.
- Eat stealth food and wear the Sheikah armor set.
- Crouch to reduce noise and visibility. You won’t be able to crouch once Link has his arms full of food, so plan accordingly.
- Use the down arrow on your D-pad to toss the food further. Be careful, though. If you aren’t holding food, you’ll whistle for your horse and activate the target animal’s fight or flight instincts.
- Work smart, not hard. Cryosis and Magnesis can help provide cover in certain situations.
- Generally speaking, animals eat from food groups rather than particular foods.
You get the point. Be patient. Treat this activity like real-life hunting, and you’ll get to hand out some tasty snacks to Hyrule’s wildlife. Also, use your camera at maximum zoom to get a better view!
The Feeding Guide: Animals
Here’s the coveted list of every feedable animal in BotW, their favorite foods, and where you can find them. I’ll sort them from easiest to most difficult.
Horses
Favorite foods:
Carrots and apples.
Location:
Horses gallop around various plains throughout BotW.
Special notes:
Feeding endura carrots to your horse grants a temporary three spur boost to its stamina. Special horses share the same diet (skeletal Stalhorses or the majestic Lord of the Mountain on Satori peak.) Unfortunately, they won’t gain temporary stamina from endura carrots. Stalhorses clearly don’t have stomachs. Can someone explain to me where that food is being stored?
Dogs
Favorite foods:
Meat and fruit.
Location:
Domesticated dogs hang out around horse stables. They’re adorable little creatures that Link refuses to pet. He probably thinks they’re plague-ridden parasites. Honestly, who doesn’t pet a dog?
Special notes:
Dogs will lead you to treasure if you haven’t fed them before. This treasure doesn’t spawn until the dog is satisfied, meaning they won’t lead you to a chest you’ve already raided.
Sand Seals
Favorite foods:
If it’s a fruit, the Sand Seal will devour it. Listen closely, and you can hear it sloshing the food around pretty noisily!
Location:
Sand Seals thrive in harsh desert climates south of the Gerudo Highlands. If you’re in a hurry, you can rent one from Frelly or Kohm in Gerudo Town. You can also hop in the fence to the rental stable and feed them for free! Just don’t try that at an amusement park.
Special notes:
Shield surfing on the back of a Sand Seal is the fastest, most stylish way to traverse the Gerudo desert. These guys deserve a nice snack! If you feed Riju’s pet Sand Seal, she will reward you with tips and prophecies that a Gerudo guard will happily translate from seal-speak. “Arf, arf, arf, arf!” is Sand Seal for “Gross, brussel sprouts!” in case you were wondering.
Goats and Sheep
Favorite foods:
Carrots, Radishes, Pumpkins, Hyrule Herb, Safflina, Apples, Hearty Durians, and likely much more!
Location:
Goats often roam the highlands of rocky mountaintops. Domesticated goats also live near stables and towns.
Special notes:
Domesticated goats are easy targets for snack supply drops. Goats aren’t picky eaters, either. They eat their vegetables and leafy greens just like their mothers taught them.
Woodland and Red-Tusked Boars
Favorite foods:
Vegetables and fruit.
Location:
Boars are easiest to find in the Hyrule Field and Lanayru Great Spring regions.
Special notes:
Boars will flee or charge toward Link upon seeing him. If you can lay down a nice meal for one before that happens, it’ll scarf down that food like, well, you know, a pig. Boar hunting in BotW is great archery practice for new players since they hang out in regions that new players need to explore.
Water Buffalo and Hateno Cows
Favorite foods:
Hyrule Herb, Safflina, and an assortment of veggies.
Location:
Bulls and cows in BotW are mainly found in marshy areas like wetlands and near lakes throughout Akkala.
Special notes:
Who says Hylians can’t befriend cows? They’re pretty cute when you aren’t mashing them into cheeseburgers. Be careful walking through marshy areas! One loud step and you’ll startle them!
Deer
Favorite foods:
Veggies, Herbs, and Fruit.
Location:
Temperate forests and plains throughout Hyrule.
Special notes:
Deer can be mounted! The deer in BotW may not be picky eaters, but they aren’t fond of prying eyes. Find a nearby tree or use your cryonis rune to create an impromptu cover. Pro Tip: You can set bait for the deer hunting minigame in Hateno Village before talking to Dantz – if you’re itching for in-game mechanics to exploit.
Tabantha Moose
Favorite foods:
Apples.
Location:
Tabantha Moose roam the northwestern tundra regions of Hyrule. They can be spotted in Hebra, Tabantha Highlands, and sometimes in the Gerudo Highlands, too.
Special notes:
Moose are exceptionally dignified eaters! They’ll kneel to eat, which is pretty cool to watch. Despite their massive antlers, they’ll disperse upon hearing the faintest noises. Since you’ll likely want to wear the Snowquill set to stay warm, I highly recommend eating some [stealth food] before approaching a herd of Tabantha Moose.
Great-Horned Rhinoceros
Favorite foods:
Herbs and veggies
Location:
The Great-Horned Rhinoceros are easy to spot throughout the Tundra. Same usual suspects: The Hebra Mountains and Gerudo Highlands.
Special notes:
Rhinos in BotW live in a pretty desolate and unforgiving climate. They’re happy to take food wherever they can find it! They are pretty slow to notice it lying in front of their faces, though.
Snowcoat and Grassland Foxes
Favorite foods:
Fruit.
Location:
Grassland Foxes are orange with a white-tipped tail and white bust. You can locate Grassland Foxes in meadows and dense forests, particularly throughout Lanayru Great Spring and Hyrule. Snowcoat Foxes are a pale Tiffany blue. They like to romp around near Moose and Rhinos in BotW.
Special notes:
Foxes seem to ignore meat because… science. The Hyrule compendium states that foxes love meat, but they’ll walk away in favor of a glistening red apple. Feeding foxes is satisfying because you get to watch them jump for joy when fed. It makes befriending a fox a fun and wholesome experience.
Wolves and Wasteland Coyotes
Favorite foods:
Meat, meat, and more meat!
Location:
Wasteland Coyotes flourish in deserts and savanna climates throughout Hyrule. The compendium lists habitats in the Gerudo Desert and Highlands, but you can sometimes spot them in East Faron. Wolves are much more abundant. They’re common in the Tabantha frontier but scatter throughout Akkala and the Great Hyrule Forest.
Special notes:
Beware! Wolves also love to feast on tenderized Hylian hero meat. They’re pretty ungrateful little pups. One howl and a whole pack will arrive, panting and drooling at the sight of Link. Meat tastes good, but Link tastes better.
Honeyvore Bears
Favorite foods:
Fish, Meat. Honeyvore Bears seem to ignore Courser Bee Honey. I could argue it’s the biggest disappointment in Breath of the Wild. The compendium says these guys love honey, too. Maybe Nintendo wanted to draw inspiration from the Vikings who named Iceland.
Location:
Honeyvore Bears are the rarest animal in BotW. You can track down bears in the Tabantha Frontier and Akkala Highlands. Honeyvore Bears also appear specifically in the Hickaly Woods in West Necluda if you’re in a hurry to find one!
Special notes:
Lure bears in with food so you can ride them! What’s more exciting than riding the wildest, most exotic animal in Breath of the Wild? Heads up, bears are aggressive, too.
Bushy-Tailed Squirrels
Favorite foods:
Acorns, Chickaloo Tree Nuts, Apples.
Location:
Squirrels live in dense forests throughout Hyrule. They tend to congregate in areas crowded with Chickaloo Tree Nuts.
Special notes:
Squirrels are very skittish! If you want to catch them eating your delicious gifts, you’ll need to lay the bait, take a few dozen steps back, and find a nearby tree to climb. You’ll want to pull out the camera on your Sheikah Slate to get a decent view.
Eldin Ostrich
Favorite foods:
Herbs and veggies.
Location:
As the name suggests, ostriches live in the unforgiving scorched earth of the Eldin region.
Special notes:
Finding an ostrich in a location where food won’t burst into flame is tough, and ostriches are an easily spooked species in BotW. If you’re looking for a difficulty spike that rivals the Dark Souls series, these guys and squirrels are your target audience. Ostriches will eat, though.
Pro tip: You can bait fish with foods that share a matching secondary effect. Armored carp will gravitate toward Ironshrooms. You can draw out Mighty Porgy with Mighty Bananas. Fish ignore herbs with matching effects, though. Still, this is an effective way to collect top-tier BotW cooking ingredients.
Creatures That Can’t Be Fed in BotW
Birds, Blupees, and various critters won’t respond to food no matter how hard you try. Here’s the complete list:
- Blupees
- Crows
- Ducks
- Cuccos
- Herons
- Donkeys
- Lizards
- Frogs
- Crabs
- Snails
- Fireflies
Living on the Wild Side: Feeding Monsters
Feeling adventurous? Try handing a few snacks to the unsung heroes, working tireless shifts, attempting to slaughter Link with primitive weaponry.
Bokoblins and Lizalfos:
- Favorite foods: Meat, Fish, and Fruit.
- Special notes: Anti-veggie!
Yiga-Clan:
- Favorite foods: The guards are crazy for bananas. They get all excited, and it’s honestly adorable.
- Special notes: Master Kohga refuses to welcome the potassium overlords. If he doesn’t appreciate a good banana, who the heck taught the others? They must have inherited it from their previous master.
Rock Octoroks:
- Favorite foods: Eat rusty weapons and spit them out new.
- Special notes: These Octoroks live exclusively on Death Mountain. Luckily their favorite foods won’t burn up!
Molduga:
- Favorite foods: It takes a few nudges, but you can bait Molduga into eating a Lizalfos after pulling one out of camouflage.
The story doesn’t end here! You can feed many NPC’s. Some are pieces of side quests scattered throughout Hyrule. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and offer the townsfolk and woodland creatures of BotW their favorite ingredients. [Feed everyone like you’re Oprah Winfrey] handing out snacks!