Realistic Wildlife

Realistic Wildlife changes the AI of vanilla Minecraft animals to simulate realistic predator-prey behaviour. Everything runs on the server and needs no configuration.

Version 2.0 is a complete rewrite for Minecraft 26.1, 26.2 and 26.3. It needs only the Fabric Loader - Fabric API is not required.

What the mod changes

Wolves hunt in packs. A hungry wild wolf that spots a sheep, rabbit or chicken within 16 blocks calls the wolves around it (up to 24 blocks away), and the pack closes in from different sides before attacking. Wolves track their hunger: well-fed wolves leave prey alone, and a successful kill feeds the whole hunting pack. Wild wolves that find no prey for a long time starve and despawn - but never near a player, and never when they are tamed, named or leashed.

Sheep and rabbits flee and warn their herd. They notice wild wolves within 12 blocks, run in the opposite direction and warn animals of the same species within 8 blocks, so the whole herd runs - including animals that have not seen the wolf yet. If there is water in the escape direction they run for it, and wolves give up the chase once their prey is in the water.

Chickens notice foxes and wild wolves, flee and warn nearby chickens.

Foxes hunt in two phases at night: a slow, crouched stalk, then a sprint when they are close enough to strike.

Animal populations regulate themselves. If 12 or more animals of the same species stand within 16 blocks, they do not fall in love or breed until there are fewer of them. This prevents overcrowding without admin intervention.

Compatibility

• Server-side only: install it on the server, players do not need anything.
• Stores no data in your world. You can remove the mod at any time.
• Version 1.0 for Minecraft 1.21 to 1.21.8 (with Fabric API) remains available.