Dev Cummins
October 5th, 2025

Ultimate Zookeeper Class Guide October 2025

I’ve spent countless hours exploring every nook and cranny of 99 Nights in The Forest, but nothing has captured my imagination quite like the Zookeeper class. When I first stumbled upon this unique playstyle, I was skeptical about how effective taming forest creatures would be in combat. Boy, was I wrong! After mastering the intricacies of this class, I’m here to share everything I’ve learned to help you become the ultimate Zookeeper.

What Is 99 Nights in The Forest?

For those new to this immersive survival RPG, 99 Nights in The Forest drops you into a mysterious woodland teeming with magical creatures, hidden dangers, and ancient secrets. What sets this game apart is its innovative class system, and the Zookeeper is perhaps its most unique offering. Unlike traditional combat-focused classes, Zookeepers forge bonds with forest creatures, building a team of animal allies to fight alongside them.

The game’s ecosystem is incredibly detailed, with each creature having its own behaviors, preferences, and abilities. As a Zookeeper, you’ll need to understand these nuances to build the perfect team for any situation. It’s not just about taming the strongest animals—it’s about creating synergies between your companions and your own skills.

Why I Enjoy Playing the Zookeeper Class?

I’ll admit, when I first started playing 99 Nights in The Forest, I gravitated toward more straightforward combat classes. There’s something satisfying about wielding a massive axe or casting powerful fireballs. But after seeing a high-level Zookeeper in action during a community event, I was intrigued enough to give it a try.

What I love most about the Zookeeper class is the incredible versatility it offers. One moment, I’m stealthily scouting ahead with my owl companion; the next, I’m commanding my bear to charge into battle while my wolf pack flanks enemies. The tactical depth is astounding, and I feel like a true conductor of a wild orchestra.

There’s also something deeply satisfying about the bond you develop with your creatures. Unlike summoned minions in other games, these animals feel like genuine companions with personalities of their own. My personal favorite, a wolf I named Shadowfang, has saved my hide more times than I can count and has grown from a timid pup to a fierce protector throughout our journey.

How to Play as a Zookeeper?

Starting your journey as a Zookeeper can be overwhelming, but I’ve broken it down into manageable steps to help you get started on the right foot.

Getting Started

When you create your Zookeeper character, you’ll begin with a basic Taming skill and a simple companion whistle. Your first quest will lead you to befriend your first creature—typically a choice between a rabbit, squirrel, or small bird. While these early companions aren’t combat powerhouses, they’re essential for learning the basics of the taming mechanic.

I recommend choosing the rabbit if you prefer a defensive playstyle, the squirrel for gathering resources, or the bird for scouting ahead. Each teaches different aspects of the Zookeeper class that will be valuable later on.

The Taming Process

Taming creatures in 99 Nights in The Forest isn’t as simple as walking up and clicking a button. Each animal species has specific requirements before they’ll consider joining you:

Reputation Building: You’ll need to perform actions that align with the creature’s values. Herbivores respond to protecting plant life, while predators respect successful hunts.
Gift Giving: Most creatures have preferred food items or objects. Finding and offering these is crucial to gaining their trust.
Skill Demonstration: Some animals will only join you after you’ve demonstrated certain skills. For example, eagles might require you to reach high altitudes, while bears could want to see your strength in combat.
Patience: The taming process takes real-world time. You might need to visit a creature multiple times over several game days before earning its trust.

Managing Your Companion Team

As you progress, you’ll be able to build a team of up to six companions, with three active at any time. Managing this team effectively is key to success:

Energy Management: Each companion has an energy meter that depletes during activities. They’ll need rest and food to recover.
Bond Level: The stronger your bond with each creature, the more effectively they’ll follow commands and the more abilities they’ll unlock.
Team Composition: A balanced team typically includes a tank (bear, boar), damage dealer (wolf, big cat), and support (bird, raccoon).

Zookeeper Skills and Abilities

The Zookeeper skill tree is divided into three main branches: Taming, Command, and Synergy. I’ve found that specializing in one branch while dabbling in others works best, depending on your preferred playstyle.

Taming Skills

These skills focus on attracting and bonding with creatures:

Animal Kinship (Passive): Increases the rate at which creatures trust you.
Beast Whisper: Allows communication with more complex creatures.
Advanced Taming: Unlocks the ability to tame legendary and mythical creatures.
Creature Comfort: Reduces the energy consumption of your companions.

Command Skills

These skills enhance your ability to direct your companions in battle:

Pack Tactics: Increases damage when multiple companions attack the same target.
Protective Instincts: Companions will automatically defend you when attacked.
Coordinated Assault: Unlocks powerful combination attacks with your companions.
Last Stand: When you fall, your most bonded companion will sacrifice itself to revive you.

Synergy Skills

These skills focus on the magical connection between you and your companions:

Spirit Bond: Share a portion of damage taken with your active companions.
Beast Within: Temporarily transform into one of your bonded creatures, gaining their abilities.
Nature’s Call: Summon all inactive companions to your location for a short duration.
Eternal Companion: Prevents the permanent death of your most bonded companion.

Best Builds for Zookeeper Class

Based on my extensive playtesting, I’ve developed three distinct builds that cater to different playstyles. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, so choose based on how you enjoy playing.

The Packmaster (Offensive)

This build focuses on overwhelming enemies with the raw power of your companions.

Skill Priority:

Max out Pack Tactics first
Invest in Coordinated Assault
Boost Beast Whisper for access to powerful creatures
Add Animal Kinship for faster bonding

Companion Team:

Primary: Dire Wolf (high damage, fast attacks)
Secondary: Bear (tank, crowd control)
Support: Eagle (aerial attacks, scouting)

Playstyle: Send your wolf pack to shred enemy health bars while your bear absorbs damage. Use your eagle to harass spellcasters and ranged enemies. Stay mobile and let your companions do most of the work, stepping in to finish off weakened foes.

The Guardian (Defensive)

This build turns you and your companions into an impenetrable wall of defense.

Skill Priority:

Max out Protective Instincts
Invest in Creature Comfort for sustainability
Add Spirit Bond for damage sharing
Finish with Last Stand for emergency protection

Companion Team:

Primary: Grizzly Bear (maximum durability)
Secondary: Tortoise (defensive shell ability)
Support: Deer (healing aura)

Playstyle: Position yourself and your companions to control chokepoints and protect vulnerable allies. Your bear and tortoise can hold off multiple enemies while your deer provides healing. This build excels in group content where you can protect less durable teammates.

The Wildheart (Hybrid)

This versatile build balances offense and defense while leveraging unique transformation abilities.

Skill Priority:

Max out Beast Within
Invest in Nature’s Call for tactical flexibility
Add Advanced Taming for creature variety
Finish with Eternal Companion for insurance

Companion Team:

Primary: Panther (stealth, burst damage)
Secondary: Owl (utility, night vision)
Support: Fox (trickster abilities, crowd control)

Playstyle: Adapt to any situation by transforming into the perfect creature for the job. Use your panther for stealthy approaches, your owl for reconnaissance, and your fox for misdirection. This build rewards creative thinking and tactical flexibility.

Latest Updates for Zookeeper Class

The developers have been actively supporting 99 Nights in The Forest with regular updates, and the Zookeeper class has seen some significant changes in the latest patch (October 2025):

New Legendary Creatures: Three new legendary creatures have been added to the game: the Spirit Wolf, Ancient Treant, and Phoenix. Each requires unique questlines to tame and offers exceptional abilities.
Companion Customization: You can now equip your companions with cosmetic items and minor gear upgrades that provide small stat bonuses. This adds a new layer of customization to the class.
Bonding System Overhaul: The bonding system has been reworked to provide more meaningful progression. Higher bond levels now unlock unique companion abilities and special dialogue options.
Zookeeper Daily Quests: New daily quests specifically for Zookeepers have been added, offering reputation with various creature factions and unique rewards.
Quality of Life Improvements: Companion AI has been significantly improved, with better pathfinding and more responsive command execution. Additionally, a new companion management interface makes switching between team members much more intuitive.

Tips & Tricks to Excel as a Zookeeper

After mastering the Zookeeper class, I’ve picked up some advanced strategies that can help you maximize your effectiveness:

Time Your Taming: Certain creatures appear only during specific weather conditions or times of day. Plan your taming expeditions accordingly to find rare specimens.
Invest in Quality Food: The quality of food you offer during taming affects the initial bond level. High-quality food can significantly speed up the taming process.
Create Bonding Rituals: Establish a routine with your companions, such as feeding them at specific times or visiting certain locations together. This will gradually increase your bond level outside of combat.
Master Positioning: As a Zookeeper, your positioning is crucial. Stay behind your companions but close enough to provide support and command effectively. Use terrain to your advantage, forcing enemies into chokepoints where your companions can focus their attacks.
Learn Creature Synergies: Some companions have abilities that complement each other exceptionally well. For example, a wolf’s howl can increase the damage of all nearby predators, while a bird’s aerial assault can knock enemies into the path of your bear’s charge.
Prepare for Companion Weaknesses: Each creature type has specific weaknesses. Always have a strategy to protect your companions from threats they’re vulnerable to, such as keeping fire-based enemies away from your plant-type companions.
Utilize the Environment: The forest is full of interactive elements that can benefit your companions. Bees can be directed toward enemies, vines can be used to restrain foes, and ponds can provide healing for aquatic creatures.

FAQs About the Zookeeper Class

What’s the best first companion for a new Zookeeper?

While it depends on your playstyle, I generally recommend starting with a wolf. They’re well-rounded, relatively easy to tame, and their pack mentality teaches important Zookeeper mechanics. Plus, they remain useful throughout the game, unlike some early companions that become obsolete.

How do I revive a fallen companion?

When a companion falls in battle, they’ll return to your base after a short time. To speed up the process, you can use a Revive Salve on their body or visit a special Spirit Tree in the forest. The Last Stand skill can also prevent companion death in critical situations.

Can I tame every creature in the game?

Most creatures can be tamed, but some legendary and mythical beasts have special requirements. Additionally, certain “boss” creatures cannot be tamed but can be summoned temporarily using special items.

What’s the maximum number of companions I can have?

You can maintain bonds with up to six companions simultaneously, but only three can be active at any given time. You can switch between inactive companions at rest points or by using the Nature’s Call skill.

How do I increase my bond level with companions?

Bond level increases through various activities: fighting together, feeding them preferred foods, completing companion-specific quests, and simply spending time together. Using the Bonding Ritual skill once per game day also provides a significant boost.

Are there any disadvantages to playing a Zookeeper?

The main disadvantage is your relative weakness when separated from your companions. In areas where companions aren’t allowed (certain dungeons or story instances), you’ll need to rely on your personal combat skills, which are generally weaker than dedicated combat classes. Additionally, managing multiple companions can be complex and overwhelming for new players.

I hope this comprehensive guide helps you on your journey as a Zookeeper in 99 Nights in The Forest. There’s something incredibly rewarding about building bonds with the forest’s creatures and overcoming challenges together. Whether you’re leading a pack of wolves, commanding a mighty bear, or soaring with your eagle companion, the Zookeeper class offers a unique experience that I’ve found unmatched in other games.

If you have any questions or want to share your own Zookeeper experiences, drop a comment below. And if you’re looking for more guides on 99 Nights in The Forest, check out our beginner’s guide or our class tier list to see how the Zookeeper stacks up against other options.

Happy taming, and may the forest’s creatures fight proudly by your side!