~8 min
Wildlife Sanctuaries are the three guarded islands on the edges of Palworld's map where the best Pals in the game roam as ordinary wild spawns - tower-boss-tier creatures like Shadowbeak, Blazamut, and Astegon that you would otherwise have to summon or beat in a set fight. The catch is that setting foot on one counts as trespassing, surveillance drones patrol every island, and catching a Pal in front of a witness adds a separate poaching charge. So each visit is a smash-and-grab: fly in with the right spheres, grab the Pals and the schematic chests, and get out before the PIDF pin you down. This guide covers all three sanctuary locations, the rare Pals and boss on each, exactly how the wanted system works, what the chests drop, and the strategy that gets you in and out clean.
These are mid-to-late-game destinations that reward planning over luck, and with 1.0's endgame built around rare Pals, they matter more than ever.
What Wildlife Sanctuaries Are
Wildlife Sanctuaries are protected, no-build zones full of rare Pals that either cannot be found anywhere else or are extremely hard to find otherwise. There are three of them, each sitting far out at sea on the map's edge, reachable only by a flying or swimming mount. You cannot build a base on them - you visit only to catch Pals and open chests. The appeal is simple: the tower-boss-tier roster that normally requires beating set-piece fights spawns here in the wild, so a good sphere and a clean getaway can hand you Pals other players grind for.
All Three Sanctuaries at a Glance
Sanctuary | Location | Player level | Guardian boss | Sphere tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 1 | East of Sea Breeze Archipelago Castaway Beach (south coast) | ~20-30 | Grizzbolt | Hyper Spheres+ |
No. 2 | North of the volcano biome, near Mount Obsidian | 40+ | Astegon | Ultra Spheres+ |
No. 3 | West of the desert biome (near Deep Sand Dunes) | 50+ | Frostallion Noct (Lv65) | Ultra Spheres+ |
Work through them in order: clear No. 1 for early rare catches, return to No. 2 once you are past level 40, and save No. 3 for when your team can trade blows with a Level 65 boss.
Wildlife Sanctuary No. 1
The first sanctuary sits close to the mainland starting area, directly east of the Sea Breeze Archipelago Castaway Beach fast travel point on the southern coast, which makes it the easiest to reach. Grizzbolt, the electric bear from the first tower fight, guards the island. Aim for level 30 or higher and pack Hyper Spheres or better, since the wild Pals here hit harder than most mainland spawns. Pals you can catch here include:
Pal | Notes |
|---|---|
Grizzbolt | The island boss; the electric bear from the first tower fight |
Penking | Water and Ice; drops both Aquatic Pal Fluids and Ice Organs |
Azurobe | Water and Dragon; a solid early Dragon-damage option |
Elphidran | Dragon type; good mid-game combat and mount |
Chillet | Ice and Dragon; a reliable Ice-damage pick for raids |
This is the ideal first trip - reachable surprisingly early, and a great source of your first genuinely rare catches. Which of these are worth keeping is covered in our Pal tier list.
Wildlife Sanctuary No. 2
The second sanctuary lies north of the volcano biome, near Mount Obsidian, and is far more heavily guarded. Astegon - a Dragon and Dark Pal with Level 7 Mining suitability - is the island boss, and the surrounding Pals range from level 35 to 50. Wait until at least level 40 and bring Ultra Spheres as your minimum tier. The island also has resources like sulfur, valuable ores, and flowers. Notable catches:
Pal | Notes |
|---|---|
Astegon | The island boss; Dragon and Dark with Level 7 Mining suitability |
Jormuntide Ignis | Fire Dragon; one of the best Kindling base Pals and a mount |
Quivern | Dragon; an excellent mid-game flying mount |
Verdash | Grass; underrated for both base work and combat speed |
Warsect | Grass and Ground; strong in combat and decent at base tasks |
This is the sanctuary to visit for a strong mid-game mount and some excellent base workers.
Wildlife Sanctuary No. 3
The final sanctuary sits west of the desert biome, out past the Deep Sand Dunes, and is the toughest of the three. Its boss is Frostallion Noct at Level 65 - the Dark variant of the Legendary ice Pal Frostallion - and breaking in is trickier than the others. The reward is the best late-game roster in the game roaming as ordinary spawns:
Pal | Notes |
|---|---|
Frostallion Noct | The Level 65 island boss; the Dark variant of the Legendary Frostallion |
Shadowbeak | Dark; a top-tier combat Pal usually earned late |
Blazamut | Fire; a heavy hitter and former tower-boss-tier catch |
Orserk | Dragon and Electric; excellent damage output |
Faleris | Fire; a strong flying mount and combat Pal |
Lyleen | Grass; a great Medicine and base worker |
This is the endgame jackpot: catching Shadowbeak, Blazamut, Orserk, and the rest in the wild saves you the set-piece fights entirely. Come only when your team can survive a Level 65 boss and pack your best spheres. Once you have a strong catch, breeding it up rather than relying on wild stats is the better long-term move - our breeding guide covers turning a lucky catch into a Pal that holds its own.
The Wanted System: Trespassing and Poaching
Every sanctuary is a PIDF trespassing zone patrolled by surveillance drones, and the wanted system has two separate charges most guides gloss over:
- Trespassing - the moment a drone or guard sees you on sanctuary soil, you get a level 1 Trespassing charge from the PIDF.
- Poaching - catching a Pal in front of a witness adds a second, separate charge on top of the trespassing one.
Both trigger the same "Criminal Activity is Underway" warning. Getting spotted spawns PIDF officers and raises your wanted level, and the longer you stay wanted, the stronger the officers they send. Crucially, the old trick of flying in undetected was patched in 1.0 - the drones matter now. The smart play is to treat detection as a timer, not a game over: break line of sight and wait, or fly up and leave the area, and the heat clears. A level 1 charge is completely manageable if you grab what you came for and leave.
What the Chests Drop
The sanctuaries are not just about Pals - the chests roll the final-dungeon loot table, making them a strong secondary reason to visit:
Reward | Why it matters |
|---|---|
Weapon and armor Schematics | Upgrade your gear to higher rarities |
Bellanoir Slab Fragments | Craft the Bellanoir Slab to summon the raid boss |
Sapphires and gems | Valuable materials worth strong Gold |
Beautiful Flowers | Found around each sanctuary; used in cooking and breeding |
The Bellanoir Slab Fragments are the standout - sanctuary chests are a reliable source of them, which you craft into the Slab to summon the raid boss (see our Bellanoir Libero guide). One important correction: the Pals here are regular spawns, not Alphas, so they do not drop Ancient Civilization Parts. For those, farm Alpha and tower bosses instead - do not come to a sanctuary expecting them.
How to Reach the Sanctuaries
Every sanctuary sits far out at sea, so you need a mount that can cover the distance - a flying mount or a swimming mount with good stamina. For early trips to No. 1, a Chillet or Nitewing does the job; by the time you are running No. 2 and No. 3 you will have better options. The key is a mount that will not run out of stamina over open water, or you risk dropping into the sea partway across. Our best mounts guide ranks the fliers and swimmers worth building around.
Best Strategy: Smash and Grab
Treat every sanctuary trip as a raid, not a farm. The approach that works:
- Match the sphere tier. Hyper Spheres for No. 1, Ultra Spheres for No. 2 and No. 3 - underpowered spheres waste your catches.
- Avoid line of sight. Skirt the drones and most Pals unless you are ready to fight; being unseen means no wanted level at all.
- Weaken before you throw. These Pals are high level, so bring them low and apply status before spending a sphere.
- Have a getaway plan. Know where you flew in and keep a stamina buffer to leave the moment the heat rises.
- Grab the chests on the way. Schematics and Bellanoir fragments make even a failed catch run worthwhile.
Done right, each sanctuary becomes a quick in-and-out raid rather than a graveyard run.
Tips and Common Mistakes
- Do the islands in order. No. 1 early, No. 2 past level 40, No. 3 when you can face a Level 65 boss.
- Bring the right spheres. Hyper for No. 1, Ultra for No. 2 and No. 3 - the wrong tier costs you rare catches.
- Detection is a timer, not a loss. Break line of sight or leave the area and the wanted level clears.
- The fly-in-undetected trick is gone. 1.0 patched it, so plan around the drones seeing you.
- Do not expect Ancient Civilization Parts. Sanctuary Pals are regular spawns, not Alphas - farm bosses for those.
- Use a stamina-heavy mount. The islands are far offshore; a mount that tires mid-flight drops you in the sea.
- Loot the chests every trip. Schematics, Sapphires, and Bellanoir Slab Fragments make each run pay off.
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FAQ
Where are the Wildlife Sanctuaries in Palworld?
There are three, all on the edges of the map. No. 1 is east of the Sea Breeze Archipelago Castaway Beach fast travel point on the southern coast. No. 2 is north of the volcano biome near Mount Obsidian. No. 3 is west of the desert biome, out past the Deep Sand Dunes. Each is far offshore and needs a flying or swimming mount to reach.
What rare Pals are in the Wildlife Sanctuaries?
Sanctuary No. 1 has Penking, Azurobe, Elphidran and Chillet with a Grizzbolt boss. No. 2 has Jormuntide Ignis, Quivern, Verdash and Warsect with an Astegon boss. No. 3, the endgame island, has Shadowbeak, Blazamut, Orserk, Faleris and Lyleen with a Level 65 Frostallion Noct boss - the tower-boss-tier roster roaming as wild spawns.
What happens if you get caught in a Wildlife Sanctuary?
You get a level 1 Trespassing charge from the PIDF the moment a drone or guard spots you, and catching a Pal in front of a witness adds a separate poaching charge. Being spotted spawns PIDF officers and raises your wanted level, with stronger officers arriving the longer you stay. It clears if you break line of sight and wait, or fly up and leave the area.
How do you avoid the wanted level in Wildlife Sanctuaries?
Stay out of the line of sight of the surveillance drones and guards - if you are never seen, you get no wanted level at all. The old trick of flying in undetected was patched in 1.0, so the drones matter now. Treat any detection as a timer: grab what you came for and leave, or break line of sight to clear the heat.
What do Wildlife Sanctuary chests drop?
The chests roll the final-dungeon loot table: weapon and armor Schematics, Sapphires and other gems, and Bellanoir Slab Fragments used to summon the Bellanoir raid boss. Beautiful Flowers are also found around each island. Note the Pals here are regular spawns, not Alphas, so they do not drop Ancient Civilization Parts.
What level should you be for Wildlife Sanctuaries?
Around level 20-30 for No. 1, at least level 40 for No. 2, and level 50 or higher for No. 3, which is guarded by a Level 65 boss. The Pals scale from roughly 20-30 on the first island to 40-50 on the second and third, so match your team and sphere tier to the island.
How do you reach the Wildlife Sanctuary islands?
You need a flying mount or a swimming mount with good stamina, since the sanctuaries sit far out at sea. For early trips to No. 1, a Chillet or Nitewing works. The key is a mount that will not run out of stamina over open water, or you risk dropping into the sea before you arrive.
