Palworld 1.0 Wildlife Sanctuary Guide: Locations, Drones, Bosses & Ancient Materials
- There are three Wildlife Sanctuaries. No. 1 (
95, −730) is the low-level starter — Pals around Lv 15–20, reachable early from the Sea Breeze Archipelago. No. 2 (−662, −116) and No. 3 (~665, 645) are Lv 40–45 endgame islands. - Sanctuary No. 3 is the jackpot: you can catch boss-tier Pals in the wild — Shadowbeak, Blazamut, Astegon, Orserk, Faleris and Lyleen — no summon or altar needed. Bring Hyper/Ultra spheres for the Lv 40–45 catches.
- Every sanctuary is a PIDF trespassing zone patrolled by surveillance drones. Being spotted spawns PIDF officers and a wanted level; you can’t build there, and the old fly-in-undetected trick was patched. Treat it as smash-and-grab: get in, catch, loot, and fly out — break line of sight to clear the heat.
- The chests roll the final-dungeon loot table — weapon and armour schematics, Sapphires and Bellanoir Slab Fragments — but the Pals here are regular spawns, not Alphas, so they don’t drop Ancient Civilization Parts. For those, farm Alpha and tower bosses instead.
Wildlife Sanctuaries are the wild islands where Palworld keeps its best Pals — the tower-boss-tier creatures you’d otherwise have to summon or beat in a set fight roam here as ordinary spawns, and the treasure chests pull from the game’s best loot table. The catch: they’re patrolled by PIDF drones, so every visit is a stealthy smash-and-grab. Here’s where all three are, how the drones work, which Pals to hunt, and what you’ll actually loot.
The three sanctuaries at a glance
There are three, and they’re not equal — No. 1 is an early, low-level warm-up, while Nos. 2 and 3 are endgame islands. Here’s how they compare on the things that matter:
| Sanctuary | Level | Where | The draw |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | ~15–20 | Starter isle, ~(95, −730) | Early rare Pals + first schematic chests |
| No. 2 | ~40–45 | Far west, ~(−662, −116) | Jormuntide Ignis, Quivern, Verdash |
| No. 3 | ~40–45 | Eastern desert, ~(665, 645) | Shadowbeak, Blazamut, Astegon, Orserk, Faleris, Lyleen |
Where they are
- No. 1 — the starter sanctuary. Centre around (95, −730). Fast-travel to the Sea Breeze Archipelago Castaway Beach on the southern coast (~5, −500) and head east to the island. It’s reachable surprisingly early, which makes it the best place to grab your first rare Pals.
- No. 2 — far west. Around (−662, −116), on the western edge of the map. Fast-travel to the Ruined Fortress City and go north, or reach the Forgotten Island and fly west. Level 40–45, so come geared.
- No. 3 — eastern desert. Around (665, 645), east of the Dessicated Desert. Fast-travel to the Deep Sand Dunes (~528, 526) and fly northeast to the rocky shoreline. This is the endgame island — and the best.
The drones: how trespassing works
Step onto any sanctuary and the game flashes “Criminal Activity is Underway” — you’re trespassing. Each island is patrolled by surveillance drones sweeping searchlights across the terrain, plus PIDF officers who spawn (scaled to the island’s level) once you’re detected. A few rules to know:
- Getting spotted = a wanted level. Being seen lands a level-1 trespassing charge and brings the PIDF down on you.
- You can’t build there. Sanctuaries are no-base zones, so there’s no living on the island — it’s in-and-out.
- The fly-in trick is patched. The old loophole that let a flying mount drift in undetected was fixed back in v0.1.5.0, so you can’t cheese detection anymore.
- Escaping is easy, though. If you’re spotted, break line of sight and wait out the heat, or hop on a flying mount and climb straight up and leave the area — the wanted status clears once you’re clear. A failed stealth run is fully recoverable.
- Don’t grind the PIDF. They give far less XP than their level suggests, on purpose — they’re a deterrent, not a farm.
The practical approach: fly in, make for the Pals or chest you want, catch or loot fast, and get out before the heat builds.
The bosses — rare Pals you can catch
This is the real reason to go. Sanctuaries let you catch boss-tier Pals in the open world, with no altar or summon fight — and the higher the sanctuary, the better the roster:
| Sanctuary | Notable Pals you can catch |
|---|---|
| No. 1 | Penking, Azurobe, Elphidran, Vaelet, Petallia, Grizzbolt |
| No. 2 | Kingpaca, Incineram Noct, Menasting, Warsect, Jormuntide Ignis, Quivern, Wumpo Botan, Verdash |
| No. 3 | Fenglope, Bushi, Incineram Noct, Blazamut, Astegon, Lyleen, Orserk, Faleris, Shadowbeak |
Sanctuary No. 3 is the standout: Shadowbeak, Blazamut, Astegon, Orserk, Faleris and Lyleen are the same Pals you meet as tower bosses, here as regular (if high-level) spawns you can simply catch. Bring Hyper or Ultra Spheres — these are Lv 40–45 targets, and you’re on a clock before the PIDF arrive. (One myth to skip: despite what a few guides claim, Panthalus does not spawn here — that whale is the World Tree quest boss.)
What you’ll loot: chests and materials
Sanctuary treasure chests are worth the trip because they roll the final-dungeon loot table, not the weak overworld one. Expect:
- Weapon and armour schematics — Metal Armor, Handguns, Swords, SMGs, Makeshift Shotguns, Muskets and more.
- Sapphires, valuable accessories and skill fruits.
- Bellanoir Slab Fragments — the components for summoning the Bellanoir raid boss.
One honest note on the “ancient materials” angle: because the sanctuary Pals are regular spawns, not Alphas, they don’t drop Ancient Civilization Parts, and the chests aren’t a primary source either. If Ancient Civilization Parts are what you’re after (for the Egg Incubator, Grappling Gun and other ancient tech), farm them from Alpha bosses and tower-boss clears instead — our tower boss guide covers those. Sanctuaries are the place for rare Pals and schematics, not Ancient Parts.
Tips and common mistakes
- Bring a fast flyer. It’s your way in, your way out, and your escape hatch when the PIDF spot you — see the mount guide.
- Pack the right spheres. Hyper/Ultra for the Lv 40–45 catches; a wasted throw is a wasted run when you’re on a timer.
- Start at No. 1. It’s reachable early and stocks genuinely useful Pals (Penking, Azurobe, Elphidran) — don’t wait for the endgame islands.
- Don’t try to base up or grind XP there. No building, and the PIDF give almost nothing — it’s purely a catch-and-loot destination.
Frequently asked questions
How many Wildlife Sanctuaries are there in Palworld 1.0?
Three. No. 1 (95, −730) is a low-level starter island; No. 2 (−662, −116) and No. 3 (~665, 645) are Lv 40–45 endgame islands.
What happens if you get caught in a Wildlife Sanctuary?
You get a trespassing wanted level and PIDF officers spawn to attack you. It’s recoverable — break line of sight and wait, or fly up and leave the area, and the heat clears.
What rare Pals are in the Wildlife Sanctuaries?
The best roster is Sanctuary No. 3: Shadowbeak, Blazamut, Astegon, Orserk, Faleris and Lyleen. No. 2 has Jormuntide Ignis, Quivern and Verdash; No. 1 has Penking, Azurobe and Elphidran.
Do Wildlife Sanctuaries drop Ancient Civilization Parts?
No — the Pals there are regular spawns, not Alphas. The chests give schematics, Sapphires and Bellanoir Slab Fragments. For Ancient Civilization Parts, farm Alpha and tower bosses.
Can you build a base in a Wildlife Sanctuary?
No. Sanctuaries are no-build trespassing zones — you can only visit to catch Pals and open chests.
The bottom line
Wildlife Sanctuaries are Palworld’s rare-Pal jackpots: No. 1 early for Penking and friends, No. 3 at the endgame to catch Shadowbeak, Blazamut and the rest of the tower-boss roster in the wild. Fly in with the right spheres, grab the Pals and the schematic chests, and fly out before the PIDF pin you down — and remember the drones only matter if they see you.
More Palworld 1.0, explained: the full map guide with every zone’s level, the tower boss guide (the same Pals you can catch in No. 3), and the mount guide for the fast flyer you’ll want to get in and out.