Rust NPCs & Animals
What can kill you, how much health it has, and how hard it hits. Animal numbers are datamined straight from the game's own files, so you can plan a fight instead of guessing.
Animals
| Animal | Health | Damage | Hostile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polar BearThe toughest land animal, found in the snow biome. Hits harder than a brown bear and takes more to bring down. | 420 | 45 | Yes |
| BearAggressive and fast over short distances. Will chase you — fight from a rock or high ground, or don't fight at all. | 325 | 35 | Yes |
| BoarCommon and only moderately dangerous, but they charge in groups near forests. | 150 | 12 | Yes |
| StagSkittish and harmless — it runs rather than fights. A reliable early source of meat, fat and hide. | 150 | 10 | No |
| SharkAttacks divers around underwater labs and deep-water wrecks. The reason you don't swim the deep without a plan. | 148 | — | Yes |
| ChickenThe weakest animal in the game and the easiest early food. Two hits with almost anything. | 25 | 3 | No |
| ZombieEvent-only enemy (Halloween). Trivial health, but they swarm. | 1 | 20 | Yes |
Animal health and damage datamined from Rust's server files, verified 2026-08-04.
Scientists
8 scientist types guard monuments, Cargo Ship and the tunnels — each with its own health, gear and loot.
ScientistsTypes, HP, loot and where they spawn→Fighting them
A bear or polar bear will out-damage most early-game gear — a bow fight with a polar bear is a losing trade. Check what your weapon actually does on the damage chart before you commit.
Hunting is also your early food economy: see the cooking guide for what meat is worth eating and the food reference for exact calorie and hydration values.