How To Tame A Procoptodon In ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended

Taming the giant kangaroo known as the Procoptodon requires bringing rare Mushrooms as a passive-taming feed alongside defensive structures to immobilize it. Because this creature naturally flees when startled and possesses high base speed, survivors must prepare defensive box traps, ghillie armor for stealth, and high-tier kibble or rare mushrooms to complete the tame efficiently.

Essential Preparation and Equipment Checklist

Locating and successfully taming a Procoptodon demands careful logistical planning due to the marsupial's skittish temperament and specific dietary needs. Unlike standard knockout tames, the Procoptodon is a passive tame that requires you to feed it directly from your last hotbar slot while it remains trapped or immobilized. Before venturing out into the arid scrublands, redwood forests, or towering cliffs where these creatures spawn, ensure your inventory contains all necessary equipment to prevent a failed encounter or accidental death.

• Essential Gear and Materials:

  
  
  
  • Ghillie Armor Set: Reduces your noise and visibility radius significantly, preventing the Procoptodon from bolting before you can initiate the feeding process.
  • Large Bear Traps or Plant Species Y Traps: Essential for locking the fast-moving creature in place.
  • Building Materials: Four to six Stone Billboards and matching Gateframes, or standard Stone Foundations and Doorframes to construct a quick trap box.
  • Taming Food: Rare Mushrooms (minimum 50 to 200 depending on server rates and level), or the exceptional tier kibble if playing on a map where specific recipes apply (though Rare Mushrooms are the universal baseline for ARK: Survival Evolved and Ascended).
  • Bug Repellant: Crucial for avoiding unwanted agro from secondary predators in the redwoods or jungle biomes while you manage the taming pen.

• Prerequisite Knowledge and Benchmarks:

  
  
  
  • Movement Mechanics: The Procoptodon cannot jump backward effectively inside enclosed small spaces, making architectural traps mandatory for higher-level tames.
  • Taming Multiplier: Higher levels require significantly more patience and food items; always bring extra narcotics or stimulants only if you accidentally agro it and need to reset, though passive tames do not use traditional torpor drain mechanics.

Step-by-Step Taming Execution Workflow

Step 1: Locate and Scout Your Target

Search the dense redwood forests, mountain bases, and adjacent plains where Procoptodons spawn, scanning for their distinctive bouncing locomotion. Use a spyglass to check the level of the animal, prioritizing high-level spawns to maximize post-tame stat distributions for weight and mobility. Clear the surrounding area of dangerous predators like Allosaurs, Direwolves, or Purlovia that might interrupt the delicate passive taming process.

Pro-Tip: Apply Bug Repellant immediately upon arriving in the taming zone to keep ants, titanomyrma, and saber-toothed cats from ruining your stealth approach.

Step 2: Construct the Taming Trap

Build a U-shaped or square trap using Stone Billboards or reinforced doorframes with open doorways that allow your character to slip through while blocking the Procoptodon. Alternatively, place a Large Bear Trap on the ground in an open clearing with high stone walls ready to be snapped into place around it once it triggers the trap. Ensure the enclosure is wide enough so the kangaroo does not glitch through walls when it bounces in panic.

Warning: Never use wood structures if taming high-level carnivores or aggressive herbivores roam nearby, as wandering creatures will quickly destroy your trap and free the target.

Step 3: Lure and Immobilize the Procoptodon

Aggro the Procoptodon by hitting it gently with a non-lethal projectile like a boomerang, or simply run close to it until it turns its attention toward your survivor. Lead the creature directly into your pre-constructed trap or maneuver it over the hidden Large Bear Trap. Once the animal is securely immobilized or trapped inside the stone barrier, quickly finish sealing any remaining gaps with walls or doorframes.

Step 4: Execute the Passive Feeding Cycle

Place Rare Mushrooms into the absolute right-most slot of your hotbar (slot zero). Approach the trapped Procoptodon from behind or while wearing a full set of Ghillie armor to minimize detection metrics. Press the remote use key when the prompt appears to feed the kangaroo, then immediately back away to avoid triggering its defensive kick attack. Monitor the taming affinity bar carefully, repeating the feeding cycle every time the hunger meter drops sufficiently to accept the next item.

Procoptodon Taming Data and Resource Matrix

Common Site Failures and Field Fixes

• Premature Fleeing and Loss of Agro:

  
  
  
  • Root Cause: The player approached without adequate Ghillie armor, or attacked the animal twice, resetting its taming state and causing it to bolt through structures.
  • Actionable Fix: Wait out the cooldown period in a safe elevated position, allow the creature's awareness meter to drop completely to zero, and re-apply bug repellant before attempting another approach.

• Accidental Death of the Procoptodon:

  
  
  
  • Root Cause: Wild predators breached the taming area, or the player used high-damage weapons to trap the animal instead of passive luring methods.
  • Actionable Fix: Clear a wider perimeter before starting the operation, build double-layer protective fence foundations, and rely entirely on non-lethal aggro techniques.

• Food Item Disappearing From Hotbar:

  
  
  
  • Root Cause: The player accidentally consumed the Rare Mushrooms while trying to feed the animal, wasting precious inventory supplies.
  • Actionable Fix: Rebind your hotbar keys or place the mushrooms in a slot that requires a deliberate secondary keystroke, ensuring your character's dietary interface does not conflict with the remote-use prompt.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best food to tame a Procoptodon in ARK?

Rare Mushrooms serve as the standard, highly accessible passive feed for Procoptodons across all official maps. On maps where custom kibble trees apply, Exceptional Kibble provides superior taming effectiveness and reduces total interaction times.

Can you knock out a Procoptodon to tame it?

No, the Procoptodon is strictly a passive tame. Attempting to use tranquilizer darts or clubs will inflict damage and lower your taming effectiveness or kill the animal outright.

Why does the Procoptodon run away when I approach it?

Procoptodons possess high natural flee mechanics when startled by player movement, noise, or inadequate camouflage. Equipping a full set of Ghillie armor and moving slowly while crouched mitigates this behavior.

How do you breed Procoptodons after taming them?

Breeding Procoptodons requires a male and a female housed within mating range, and their unique pouch mechanic allows you to place a baby animal inside the mother's pouch for enhanced maturation buffs and protection.

Mastering prehistoric wildlife management transforms your ARK experience from survival struggle to efficient empire building. Secure your high-level Procoptodon today and accelerate your tribe's mobility across hostile terrain.