If you’ve spent any time roaming the lush, alien biomes of Genesis Part 2, you’ve probably seen a fuzzy, platypus-like creature gliding over the rivers or stealing berries from your foraging tames. The Maewing is one of the most versatile utility creatures in the entire ARK franchise, so it’s no surprise so many players search for how to tame a maewing ark gen 2 as soon as they spawn into the map. It acts as a mobile feeding trough for baby tames, a fast glider that can cross entire biomes in minutes, and even a decent harvester for berries, fiber, and thatch. I’ve tamed more than 20 of these guys over my 300+ hours on Gen 2, so I’m breaking down exactly what you need to do to get one without wasting tons of ammo, resources, or time.
Pre-Tame Prep: Gear, Food, and Tools You’ll Need First
First, you need to know where to look for Maewings. They spawn almost exclusively in the Eden biome, usually near shallow rivers, open grassy fields, and the edges of forested areas. You can occasionally find low-level spawns on the border of the Corrupted biome, but those are usually surrounded by aggressive corrupted creatures, so they’re not worth the risk for new players. Before you head out to hunt, gather all your supplies so you don’t have to run back to base mid-tame. My go-to pre-tame checklist is:
Simple bear traps or a small stone trap are all you need for 99% of tames, you don’t need to waste metal on a fancy trap unless you’re specifically targeting a max-level 150 spawn. I used to skip bringing extra narcotics my first few tames, and I lost two level 120+ Maewings because they woke up halfway through eating kibble and bolted into the Corrupted zone. Don’t make that mistake, always bring 10 more narcotics than you think you’ll need. Basic Kibble is the top choice for taming, as it cuts taming time by 70% compared to mejoberries and gives you a higher taming effectiveness bonus, which translates to extra stat points when the tame is complete.
Step-by-Step: How to Tame a Maewing in ARK Gen 2 Without It Escaping
Once you have all your supplies and spot a Maewing you want to tame, the first step is to make sure the area is clear of aggressive creatures. Shadowmane packs are the biggest risk here, as they’ll aggro on both you and the trapped Maewing without warning. Scan the surrounding area with your spyglass for at least 30 seconds before you move in. Maewings are extremely skittish, so crouch when you get within 20 foundations of it to avoid spooking it. If you run at it or make loud noises, it’ll take off gliding and you’ll probably never find it again.
If you’re using bear traps, place them in a straight line in the direction the Maewing is moving, or circle them around its standing position if it’s stationary. Once it steps into the trap, it’ll be stuck for 10-15 seconds, which is more than enough time to land 3-4 tranq shots to the head. If you’re using a stationary stone trap, kite the Maewing slowly towards the open door, then run around and close the door behind it once it’s inside. This method is 100% safe if you’re playing solo, as the Maewing can’t escape and you can shoot it through the doorframes without risking it running.
Once the Maewing is knocked out, open its inventory and place your taming food inside. Check the torpor bar every 30 seconds, and add narcotics if it drops below 50%. Don't stand too close to its head when it's knocked out, if it wakes up unexpectedly it’ll knock you back several feet and bolt before you can react. For a level 150 Maewing with Basic Kibble, the entire taming process only takes around 8 minutes, so you don’t have to wait around for hours like you do for bigger tames like Rexes or Gigas.
Common Taming Mistakes to Avoid With Gen 2 Maewings
Even if you follow all the steps, it’s easy to mess up a Maewing tame if you’re not paying attention. The first mistake I see new players make all the time is trying to tame a Maewing near a world event spawn. Don't try to tame a Maewing during a Genesis 2 world event, like orbital supply drops or corrupted swarms. These events spawn aggressive creatures right on top of your taming spot, and you’ll either lose the tame or get killed trying to defend it. I once lost a level 145 Maewing and all my gear when a corrupted Rex spawned 5 feet away from my trap mid-tame during a swarm event, so I speak from experience here.
Another common mistake is using too weak of tranq ammo. If you use a regular bow with stone tranq arrows on a level 100+ Maewing, you’ll kill it before you knock it out, since Maewings have relatively low health. Always use a crossbow or higher for tames above level 50, and aim for the head to get the 2x torpor bonus. You also don’t want to use a shotgun or high-damage weapon to try to knock it out, that’s almost guaranteed to kill it instantly.
Finally, don’t forget to account for the Maewing’s glide ability if it spooks. If you startle it, it can glide up to 500 foundations away in a single go, and it’s almost impossible to track it down unless you have a flyer on hand. If you do spook it by accident, don’t bother chasing it on foot, just go back to base and look for another spawn. There are always plenty of Maewings spawning in the Eden biome, so you won’t have to wait long to find another one.
What to Do With Your Newly Tamed Maewing Post-Tame
Once your Maewing is tamed, the first thing you need to do is craft a saddle for it. The Maewing saddle unlocks at level 45, and it’s super cheap to make with 150 hide, 80 fiber, 30 wood, and 10 metal ingots. Once you put the saddle on, you can test out its glide ability: hold the jump button to launch into the air, then hold the glide button to soar across the map. You can cross almost the entire Eden biome in one glide if you launch from the top of the large cliffs in the northern part of the biome, making it one of the fastest travel tames in Gen 2 for early and mid-game players.
The biggest benefit of the Maewing, though, is its nurse ability. You can put any type of baby food (raw meat, berries, wyvern milk, etc.) in its inventory, turn on nurse mode, and it will automatically feed any nearby baby tames. This eliminates the need to stay up all night hand-feeding baby tames, which is a game-changer for solo players. I used to have to set alarms every 20 minutes to feed baby Rexes before I got my first Maewing, now I just turn on nurse mode and go to sleep, no alarms needed.
Maewings are also great foragers, they harvest 2x more berries and fiber than a Parasaur, and they can carry a lot of weight for their size. You can use them to gather materials for building, kibble farming, or even taming other herbivores. If you're playing PvP, you can even use it to sneak behind enemy bases and steal baby tames, since it’s quiet, fast, and small enough to fit through small gaps in base walls that larger flyers can’t get through. It’s also great for escaping PvP fights, since you can glide away from pursuers over mountains or rivers that they can’t cross quickly.
Taming a Maewing doesn’t have to be a frustrating process, even if you’re a new player just getting your feet wet in Genesis Part 2. With the right prep, a little patience, and the tips we covered above, you can pull off how to tame a maewing ark gen 2 in less than 15 minutes, even for a max-level spawn. Once you have your first Maewing, you’ll wonder how you ever played Gen 2 without it. It’s the single most useful utility tame you can get early on, and it stays useful all the way through endgame content, from raising boss fight tames to farming resources for large bases. If you have a favorite trick for taming Maewings that I didn’t mention, drop it in the comments below to help other players out.