47 Wildlife Tattoo Designs You’ll Want To Get
Wildlife and nature have been artistic inspirations to man since forever. And tattoo art is no different. If you’re looking for something to inspire your next ink appointment, these wildlife tattoo designs are a great place to start.
Wildlife art can represent a concept that you want to memorialize on your body or it can be a fun piece that simply brings you life through a portrayal of majestic wildlife.
We’ve all seen a hundred lions and a million flowers tattooed on our friends, family, and strangers, and I want to show you the draw to them and why they’re so great, and give you some new, creative, and unique ideas that will make you excited about something different.
Since nature is such a common influence for tattoo art, I’ve covered several different animals in deep dives. Here are some of my favorites that you may want to look into deeper!
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Sleeve
There’s not much that I love more than a themed sleeve. And wildlife is one of the easiest themes to pull from to create a cool and cohesive work of tattoo art, seeing as you have plants, nature, animals, and outer space to combine to make this cool sleeve art.
This may not make up the entire sleeve, but the full head of a zebra is a pretty good way to take up a large amount of space for your sleeve.
2. Full Scenery
This full scene of different wild animals in nature is beautiful.
3. Tree Branch
The zoomed in view of a tree branch that holds a little friend can be the perfect sleeve because of all of the ways that you can add on to it and continue to create a whole scene around what lives in one tree.
The trees and deer that grace the forrest are a serene scene to have tattooed into a sleeve.
Not only are you capturing the boldness of a wolf but the freedom of its surroundings.
With a sleeve, not only do you get to capture the main subject, but all of the details that surround the life of the subject. This one in color is a great example.
7. Full Scape
The full wildlife scape in these leg sleeves are phenomenal from start to finish.
Small
From minimalist flowers to a tiny detailed tiger, there are so many ways to design a wildlife tattoo that doesn’t have to be larger than life.
This precious image of a kitten sleeping by a mushroom is perfect for the cat lovers that also love to venture into woodsy type things.
9. Wolf Girl
If your spirit animal is the wild wolf, this is a really cool and unique way to get a small wolf tattoo that stands out from the rest.
10. Bear Cubs
We love a couple of bear cubs and how cute they truly are.
The smallest elephant doesn’t mean that he’s left without this amazing shading and detailing.
These small, minimalist flowers are the perfect tattoo if you’re looking for something subtle and beautiful at the same time.
13. Dainty Butterfly
Some of my favorite reminders in nature are butterflies and what different breeds of butterflies represent. I love this dainty one for constant reminders.
14. Hand Deer
I’m a huge fan of hand tattoos, and this one is cooler than most I’ve seen. The deer is already a beautiful piece, but placing it where it blends with the natural shape of the hand is so perfect.
15. Cool Snake
Want something a little cooler? A filled in snake is a bold idea.
16. Fine Line Lotus
The lotus flower represents many things to many people, and this fine line one is adorable to give yourself that little burst of life in tattoo form.
17. Baby Elephant
A sweet little baby elephant is a great addition to any jumble of tattoos designs.
Plants
Looking at florals and different kinds of trees as symbolism is a a classic inspiration for tattoo art. Here are some phenomenal pieces that exemplify why it’s such a common practice.
18. Leaf Mix
This mix of different plant leaves is so cute! Non committal to a specific style of plants… Which is kind of nice, even for a tattoo.
This is super common with tattoos to add a little bit of a minimalistic touch to the design, just to give it a little something extra than the main subject itself.
20. Shoulder Wrap
If you want to cover a lot of area with a consistent design, plants are a great option.
21. Fine Line
Fine line tattoos are some of my personal favorites, especially with something super casual like this one.
22. Vibrant Florals
A vibrant flower to bring some brightness to your tattoos.
Minimalist dandelions are so precious, and this is a super unique piece if you’re looking for something subtle.
Palm leaves like these are some of the most popular currently, when looking for plant tattoos. Doing something detailed with shade work and everything makes it a really cool piece that lasts past the trend.
Jungle Animal Designs
25. Sunbeam Cheetah
Add the detail of the sunbeam with the cheetah for something cool and interesting.
26. Oriental Design
These animals done in a mystic style are so cool and different from your simple go-to animal style designs.
27. Striking Tiger
This image of a tiger is so striking, it captures your attention immediately.
28. Baby Cow
There’s nothing cuter than this little baby cow tattoo.
29. Fantastic Fox
Looking for something whimsical for your next tattoo? This one’s for you.
30. Rainbow Tiger
This sleepy little tiger is so precious, and not like what you normally see when you search for a tiger tattoo.
I am in awe with this artwork. The scene, the moon, the story… It’s beautiful and you can easily replace these pups with ones that look like your own.
32. Bird In Action
Wildlife tattoos don’t get more wild than this!
African Wildlife Art Tattoos
African wildlife art tattoos are some of the most popular because of their beauty and cool patterns that they create.
A stunning scene that includes the beautiful sunset and a powerful lion portrait.
These endangered beauties are so majestic and glorious, I love this artwork that honors the heritage of something as lovely as the elephant.
35. Okapi
Ever heard of one? Me either!
If you’re going for the full effect, here it is. Stunning and carefully done.
37. Circle Of Life
The circle of life exemplified in one leg piece. How cool to have such an epic life lesson tattooed in a realism fashion!
38. Dynamic Giraffes
The dynamic giraffe image with having the full detail and the silhouette contrasting each other makes this picture so much more iconic.
39. Dainty Mongoose
Such an interesting and rare animal surrounded by dainty florals is so cute!
Native Styles
Native artwork is some of the coolest, and you’re going to be inspired by the people that see nature and wildlife more beautifully and honestly than most.
This style of art has always inspired me, and I hope that it does the same for you.
I love the details of this eagle.
This bird surrounded by florals finished in a native style is so pretty and really subtle if you’re honoring a native heritage.
42. Patterned Snake
Like most snake tattoos, this one is bold and easy to spot the cool native themes.
Crowning a lion, the king of the jungle, with a tribal headdress feels so real to the natural order of things.
If you need some color, this native eagle is extra great.
45. Woman And Wolf
How striking is this piece of a woman and wolf together?
46. Eagle And Wolf
This is such a stunning piece, with two of the most sacred animals in native culture.
47. Fruity Florals
These are some pretty and vibrant flowers done in a native style that you’re going to love as you’re looking to add some color to your tattoo collection.
As you’re planning a wildlife tattoo, I hope that you’re looking at all of the bold options that make these tattoos cool and unique, and will stand out from the others you have or will have surrounding it.
Nature as an artistic inspiration is so fun and a reminder of the beautiful world that we live in.
Whether you’re getting your favorite flower just for fun or getting an animal that really reminds you of someone you love, there are so many different ways to represent life or just have fun with a wildlife tattoo.
And I hope these struck just the inspiration you were looking for!
