Patch 1.06.00 turned tigers and lions into permanent special mounts in Crimson Desert. The process is the same for both big cats: stun the animal in combat, climb onto its back while it is downed, feed it meat from your inventory until trust hits 100, and use the Take In prompt to register it. Legendary variants such as the White Tiger and White Lion still cannot be tamed.
Quick answer: Beat a regular male tiger or lion into a stunned state, mount it with the Ride prompt, feed it meat (tough meat, fine meat, or lean meat give about 40 trust per feeding) until the trust bar fills, then press Y on Xbox or Triangle on PlayStation to Take In the mount.
Requirements before you start
Both species are ferocious animals under the new special mount system, so feeding alone will not work. You have to subdue them first, then feed while mounted. Have meat in your inventory and pick a fight in a spot where the rest of the pack will not interrupt you.
Make sure you are on patch 1.06.00 or later on PC, PlayStation 5, or Xbox Series X|S. Without the update, the Ride and Feed prompts on wild tigers and lions will not appear.
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| 5+ meat items (tough, fine, lean, or marbled) | Each feeding grants ~40 trust; you need 100 total |
| Bird meat (backup) | Gives ~25–35 trust per feed if you run out |
| Healing meals | Tigers and lions hit hard during the subdue phase |
| A manual save | Useful before engaging; one stray hit can kill the target |
Meat is sold at any town butchery. The Hernand butcher is the most convenient stop before heading to either spawn.
Where to find a tameable tiger
Head east of Demeniss and north of the marked tiger den area. A small pride sits on a cliff there, anchored by the Legendary White Tiger. The regular tigers around the white tiger are the tameable ones.
If you have already killed the White Tiger during the Legendary Animals questline, fast travel to the nearest Abyss Nexus and return. The spawn resets, and a regular male tiger replaces the legendary in the pack. Remember to skin the White Tiger on your first visit, since it drops exclusive rewards that you cannot get later.
Where to find a tameable lion
There are two reliable spots. The first is the Legendary White Lion pack in Varnia, which works exactly like the tiger setup. The white lion itself cannot be tamed, but the male lion in his pride can. Kill the white lion (or, if it is already dead, find the regular male that spawns in its place), wipe out the lionesses and cubs around him, and leave the male alive.
The second option is the traveling circus area near Demeniss. A captive lion occasionally spawns inside the red zone there. Approach with your lantern raised, mount it via the steal prompt, ride out of the red circle to drop the bounty risk, then feed it meat to tame.
How to tame a tiger or lion
Step 1: Isolate the target. For lions, pull the lionesses away first and kill them so only the male remains. For tigers, single out one cat from the cliff group. Use Force Palm or your standard combo to draw aggro on the others without touching the one you plan to tame.
Step 2: Lock on and stagger the target. Force Palm with lock-on is the cleanest option because it builds the stun meter without overkilling the animal. Keep an eye on its health, ease off if it drops too low, and let it bite you rather than risk a fatal counter.
Step 3: Mount the stunned animal. When the tiger or lion collapses, a Ride prompt appears. Use it before the stun wears off. You are now seated on the animal, and it cannot throw you while the taming sequence is active.
Step 4: Open the inventory and feed it meat. Press and hold A on Xbox or X on PlayStation on a meat item and select Feed. Tough, fine, and lean meat all give about 40 trust per feeding. Marbled meat gives roughly 25, and bird meat sits between 25 and 35. Repeat until the trust bar reaches 100.
Step 5: Take In the mount. With trust at 100, a Take In prompt appears in the lower right corner. Press Y on Xbox or Triangle on PlayStation. The animal is registered to your Special Mounts tab.
How to know it worked
After the Take In confirmation, open your inventory and switch to the Special Mounts tab added in 1.06. Your tiger or lion appears there alongside any other tamed animals. From that tab you can summon it nearby, swap appearances, and equip a saddle. Each city saddlery only stocks specific saddle types, so visit several stables if you do not see the option you want.
Quick access can hold one normal mount and one special mount at a time. Setting the tiger or lion as your active special mount lets you summon it with the standard mount key once you are out of combat.
Common reasons taming fails
- You killed the animal during the subdue phase. Tigers and lions die fast under heavy weapons. Switch to fists or light attacks once the health bar drops past half.
- You tried to feed before mounting. The Feed option only appears from the inventory while you are seated on the stunned animal.
- You attacked a Legendary variant. White Tiger and White Lion cannot be tamed in 1.06; you can climb them for combat finishers, but the Take In prompt never appears.
- You ran out of the correct food. Tigers and lions are strict carnivores. Vegetables, grains, and fruit do nothing for trust.
- The Clockwork Eagle bug from earlier versions is patched, but if a failed attempt locks the animal, fast travel out and back to reset the spawn.
Once a tiger or lion is registered, treat it like any other special mount. Buy a saddle from the relevant city stable, feed it from the saddle while riding to keep it ready, and swap between your big cats and regular horses from the inventory tab whenever the terrain calls for it.