Animal Slots – The Best Animal-Themed Slots Online

Animal-themed slots are among the most popular online, thanks to their broad appeal, vibrant graphics, and engaging gameplay. With so many to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start.

That’s why we’ve ranked and reviewed the top 10 animal slots, helping you find the ones worth playing based on features, gameplay, and overall experience. We also take a closer look at the key features, developers, and what makes these games stand out.

The 10 Best Animal Slot Games Available Online

After testing a variety of animal themed slot games, our experts have concluded that these 10 are the best based on various factors. Each of the games feature exciting gameplay, captivating wildlife designs, rewarding bonus features, and can be enjoyed on some of the best slots sites online.

Animal SlotsDeveloperReelsRowsRTPPaylinesMaximum WinVolatility
Buffalo GoldAristocrat5496%20 (1024 ways to win)6,480 x stakeMedium
Mega MoolahMicrogaming5393.42%251,955 x stake (higher win possible on jackpot)Low
The Dog HousePragmatic Play5396.51%206,750 x stakeHigh
SpinsaneNetEnt5396.25%275,000 x stakeMedium-High
Ape KingReal Time Gaming5395%2431,666 stakeHigh
Buffalo BlitzPlaytech6495.96%.4,09610,000x stakeHigh
Piggy RichesNetEnt5396.38%152,746x stakeMedium
Fat RabbitPush Gaming5596.45%5010,233x stakeHigh
Animal AnticsInspired Gaming6495%5012,500X stakeMedium-High
Great RhinoPragmatic Play5396.53%20500x stakeMedium
Wolf GoldPragmatic Play5396.01%252,500x stakeMedium-High

How do Animal Themed Slots Work?

Animal slots work like any other slot games except for one or two minor tweaks to fit in with their thematic appeal. All slot machines use RNGs (random number generators) to determine the outcome of each spin.

These RNGs are a software algorithm that ensures that each spin is random. They are essential as ensuring spins are random keeps these games fair and makes it impossible for anyone to predict or manipulate the outcome.

When specific winning combinations are present on the paylines, the slot animal games will pay out. In traditional slots, there was only one payline that went horizontally across the reel. However, in modern animal slots, there can be dozens or even thousands of paylines, and they can follow various patterns or zigzag across the reels.

Joe Yarnold
Casino & Betting Expert
Expert Insight
When deciding which animal slot to play, you might be drawn to the cuteness of the animals and the visual appeal, but it's crucial also to consider the RTP and volatility. A higher RTP is preferable, as it improves your chances of winning over time. Volatility, on the other hand, impacts how frequently the game pays out. Low-volatility slots offer frequent but smaller payouts, while high-volatility games pay out less often but with larger potential rewards.

Top 5 Animal Slot Machines

To help you understand what makes our recommended games so exciting, we’ve provided animal slots reviews for our top 5 below.

Buffalo Gold (Aristocrat)

Buffalo Gold (Aristocrat)
Buffalo Gold (Aristocrat)
Bonus Features:

  • Free spins
  • Scatter symbols
  • Wild symbols
  • Gamble feature
  • Multipliers


Aristocrats Buffalo Gold collection is a 5-by-4 slot game with an RTP of 96%. There are 1024 ways to win, and wins can be in any direction. The maximum payout available on the game is $648,000.
The game is set in the Great American Plains, and the symbols feature a myriad of iconic North American animals, including elk, mountain lions, wolves, and buffalo. The game also features a sunrise icon, which is the game’s wild icon and can substitute any other symbol except the scatter one.
While the sunrise bonus icon doesn’t offer a payout of its own, the gold coins scatter symbol does, and it offers payouts from any position on the reels. In addition, Gold Coins also activate the free spins bonus round, where multipliers can reach as high as 27x. You can increase these winnings even further by selecting to play the gamble feature, which is available after each successful spin.

Mega Moolah (Microgaming)

Mega Moolah (Microgaming)
Mega Moolah (Microgaming)
Bonus Features:

  • Free spins
  • Scatter symbols
  • Wild symbols
  • Progressive jackpot
  • Multipliers


If you have played online slots before, you’ve probably heard of Mega Moolah. It’s one of the most famous online slots because it currently holds the World Record for the highest-ever slot jackpot payout of $20,062,600.
Mega Moolah is a 5-reel, 25-payline safari-themed slot with low volatility. As you spin the reels, you’ll encounter charming African animals like lions, giraffes, and elephants. The game has a total RTP of 93.42%, which includes a base RTP of 88.12% and an additional 5.3% from the progressive jackpots.
The game’s highlight is its Jackpot Wheel Bonus Game, which can randomly activate on any spin. When triggered, players are taken to a wheel divided into 20 segments, each linked to one of four jackpots. The pointer determines the jackpot you win, with the four colors representing different jackpot tiers and their minimum payouts.

  • 10 Red segments win the Mini Jackpot of at least $10
  • 6 Orange segments win the Minor Jackpot of at least $100
  • 3 Yellow segments win the Major Jackpot of at least $10,000
  • 1 White segment wins the Mega Jackpot of at least $2 million.

The Dog House (Pragmatic Play)

The Dog House (Pragmatic Play)
The dog house animal themed slot
Bonus Features:

  • Scatter symbols
  • Free spins
  • Multipliers
  • Wild Symbols
  • Sticky Wilds


The Dog House is a five-reel, 20-payline slot developed by Pragmatic Play and launched in 2019. Its charming dog-themed design instantly appeals to players, but it’s the exciting gameplay and solid 96.31% RTP that keep them coming back.
This is a high-volatility slot offering the chance to win up to 6,750x your stake, with bets ranging from $0.20 to $100, making it suitable for both casual players and high rollers. The game includes popular features like wilds, multipliers, scatters, and a free spins bonus round.
Landing three paw print scatter symbols triggers the free spins feature, where sticky wilds with 2x or 3x multipliers can land and lock in place. These are represented by the kennel symbol, and as more of them stack on the reels, they can lead to massive payouts.

Spinslane (NetEnt)

Spinsane(NetEnt)
Spinsane slot NetEnt
Bonus Features:

  • Free spins
  • Wild symbols
  • Multipliers
  • Scatters
  • Super symbols


NetEnt went with a wolf theme for this slot, explaining that “wolves are smooth as hell”, a sentiment that’s hard to argue with. In addition to its sleek, atmospheric visuals, this five-reel slot delivers engaging gameplay, a solid 96.25% RTP, and the potential for wins up to 5,000x your stake.
The game is packed with features, including wild symbols, scatters, free spins, and super symbols. Super symbols can substitute for any symbol in a winning line and are designed to always create the highest possible payout combination.
The scatter symbol is a howling wolf silhouetted against a full moon. Landing five or more anywhere on the reels triggers the free spins feature. You’ll receive twice the number of free spins as the number of scatters that triggered the round. Even better, during the free spins mode, each additional scatter that lands awards one extra free spin, allowing for potentially extended play and big wins.

Ape King (Real Time Gaming)

Ape King (Real Time Gaming)
Ape King animal themed slot
Bonus Features:

  • Free spins
  • Bonus battle feature
  • Wilds
  • Scatters


Ape King by Real Time Gaming takes you on a thrilling journey into a lush jungle filled with primates like orangutans, chimpanzees, and the dominant gorillas who are the Ape kings. This high-volatility slot features a classic 5×3 reel layout, 243 ways to win, and a 95% RTP, offering solid gameplay with a strong jungle theme.
The game’s maximum win is 1,666x your stake, and bets range from $0.30 to $150, making it suitable for a wide variety of players. The free spins mode can be triggered in two ways: by landing four or more wild symbols, or randomly at the end of any base game spin, even if no wilds appear.
During free spins, you may also activate the Jungle Battle Feature, where five ape symbols appear above the reels, each displaying a different prize value. These values can combine in various ways to deliver rewarding payouts, creating an action-packed bonus round that keeps the tension high and the potential rewards impressive.

Types of Animal Slot Games Online

The animal slots theme offers a diverse range of categories, from games focused on household pets like dogs and cats to exotic creatures and even mythical beasts. Here are the top three most common types of animal slots.

  • Farm Animals – Farm animal slots feature familiar farm animals like pigs, cows, chickens, goats, and more. They include games like Piggy Riches, Chicken Burst, and Moo Moo Cow.
  • Wildlife – Wildlife animal slots, such as Crazy Monkey, take you to exotic environments, such as jungles, mountains, and grasslands in Africa. You’ll find animals like Lions, Rhinos, Monkeys, Snakes, Pandas, and more. Mega Moolah and Great Rhino are a couple of examples that feature wildlife symbols.
  • Pets – You’ll find an abundance of cute and fluffy animals like cats, hamsters, rabbits, and dogs in pet-themed animal slot machines. The Kitty Glitter slot and Animal Antics are great pet-themed slots to try out online.

Animal Slot Bonus Features Explained

Along with their visually appealing design, animal slots are also popular for their variety of bonus features. In this section, we’ll explore the different types of features you can find in animal-themed slot games and what they mean.

Free SpinsScattersWildsBonus RoundsGamble FeatureJackpots

Free Spins

This feature awards players with a number of spins without having to bet any money for each spin. Free spins are usually triggered by getting a particular combination of symbols.

Scatters

Scatters get the name as the symbols can appear anywhere on the wheel and don’t need to appear on a specified payline to activate their benefits. When scatters are activated, they usually trigger bonus features such as free spins and multipliers.

Wilds

Wild symbols increase a player’s chance of winning as they act as any symbol on the reels (except scatter symbols in most games). For example, if you need five Rhinos on African-themed games like Great Rhino to win, and you have three rhinos and two wilds, this would count as five rhinos, and you would win.

Bonus Rounds

Bonus rounds are mini-games triggered by getting specific symbols or meeting certain conditions. In bonus rounds, players stand a chance of winning prizes which could be free spins, multipliers, cash prizes, and even jackpots.

Gamble Feature

Gamble features allow players to risk their winnings to potentially win even more. They are usually a simple game of chance, and if players win, they can double, triple, or even quadruple their winnings. However, if they lose, then the money they’ve just won is lost.

Jackpots

Jackpots are where you can win big money on slot games. Some machines have a set jackpot, whereas others use progressive jackpots. In progressive jackpots, the jackpot slowly increases as a small percentage of each bet is added to the pot until someone wins it. Progressive jackpots are often the most significant prizes you can win and can offer life-changing amounts of money.

Joe Yarnold
Casino & Betting Expert
Expert Insight
Progressive jackpot slots may offer life-changing prizes, but they typically come with high volatility and lower RTPs. While fun, it's wise to mix them with standard slots and save your spins for when the jackpot has grown significantly.

Why are Animal Slots Casino Games so Popular?

Slots are the most popular casino game, with 68% of regular gamblers saying they play slots most often. Whether you prefer to play slots with Bitcoin or fiat, you’ll find that animal slots make up a large portion of slot games in all casinos, both online and in-person, and there are several reasons for that. Here’s a look at three reasons players love to take a spin on animal themed slot games.

Visually Appealing Themes

Most animal-themed slots feature bright, eye-catching graphics that leap off the screen and engage the senses. Whether filled with cute, cuddly creatures or wild predators like lions and wolves, these games often transport players to stunning settings, from the Amazon rainforest to the African savannah or deep beneath the ocean.

The immersive experience is enhanced by lively soundtracks and authentic animal sound effects, adding a playful or adventurous tone that perfectly matches the visuals.

Emotional Connection

Animal themes resonate with a broad audience because animals are relatable, and most people have fond memories of childhood pets and/or animal stories. Humans are hardwired to nurture vulnerable creatures and respond positively to infant-like features such as big eyes, chubby bodies, and small noses, which many animals have.

Symbolism and Storytelling

Animals carry symbolic meanings that can fit in with a game’s narrative and gameplay. For example, lions symbolize strength, rabbits represent luck, and Elephants are seen to represent good luck, prosperity, and wisdom in many cultures. These symbols add an extra element to the games for players, enhancing their gaming experience.

Developers Behind the Best Animal Slot Machines

With animal slots’ popularity so high, it’s no surprise that almost every casino slot developer has at least a few titles themed around wildlife and creatures. Here we take a closer look at the companies behind our favorite animal slot machines.

Real Time Gaming

RTG Logo

Real Time Gaming (RTG), founded in 1998, is one of the most respected names in the online casino industry. While the company primarily operated in Asia until 2021, it launched a new branch under the name Spin Logic that year to cater specifically to the U.S. and European markets.

While RTG casinos feature table games as well as slots, slots are the company’s most successful market. They have around 300 slot titles covering a wide range of themes, including Egyptian, Historical, Fantasy, and of course, Animals.

The company has been nominated for countless prestigious awards and has won several, including the Best Online Slots Award at the 2021 iGaming Excellence Awards and the Gold Award for Best Mobile Gaming Software at the 2023 Global Gaming Awards.

Microgaming

Microgaming Logo

Microgaming is an experienced company that started making online casino software in 1994. In 2024, it changed its name to Apricot Investments, but many Microgaming casinos and games are still using the original branding.

The company has won over 60 awards, including EGR’s B2B Platform, Casino Platform Supplier, and Software Supplier of the Year. The company has released over 3,000 casino games and multiple animal-themed games. The most popular and famous is Mega Moolah, but other top titles include Pets Go Wild, Animals of Africa, and Cool Wolf.

Playtech

Playtech Logo

Playtech, based on the Isle of Man, was founded in 1999. It has won multiple awards from over 30 organizations, including taking home the 2023 Product of the Year prize from the American Gaming Association.

The company is well-known for providing Playtech casinos with its series of brand slots like Top Gun and Green Lantern, but Animal slots make up a large portion of its library. Buffalo Blitz, Heart of the Jungle, Great Blue Slot, and Animal Instinct are its top slot games with animals.

NetEnt

NetEnt Logo

NetEnt is headquartered in Sweden and has been supplying casino software since 1996. In its nearly three decades of existence, the company has won numerous awards including ones from prestigious organizations like the EGR Awards, Global Gaming Awards, and International Gaming Awards.

The company has over 200 games that can be found at some of the best NetEnt casinos, of which animal slots make up about 5%. Some of its top animal titles include Cornelius, Piggy Riches, Gorilla Kingdom, Jumanji, and Jungle Spirit.

Push Gaming

Push Gaming Logo

Push Gaming is a relative newcomer compared to some of the other providers on this list, having launched in 2010. Despite its young age compared to some of its competitors, it’s managed to win an array of accolades, including SlogCatalog’s Game Studio of the Year – CasinoBeat Game Developer Awards 2023.

They currently have over 40 titles that can be played on some of thebest Push Gaming casino sites. The animal theme is popular with the company, as they have 20+ animal slots casino games featuring critters and creatures, which is over half of their total library. Some of the most notable are Fat Rabbit, Cats of Olympus, Boss Bear, and DJ Fox.

Play Free Animal Slots Online

Many of the best online casinos now offer most of their games in demo mode, allowing players to play free animal slots without risking any money.

It’s a smart move to try free wildlife slots first, as it lets you familiarize yourself with the game’s mechanics and symbols without spending your own hard-earned cash. While most animal-themed slots are straightforward, taking the time to understand how everything works can improve your chances of success—and doing so without any financial risk makes it even better.

What We Have to Say About Animal Slots Online

Animal slots are among the most popular games at real-money online casinos, offering fun gameplay and colorful themes. With so many available, you’re almost guaranteed to find dozens at any major site.

Betwhale is one of the top offshore sites for animal-themed slots, offering over 1,000 titles from leading providers, with around 100 of them animal-focused. Combined with great bonuses and flexible payment options, it’s a solid pick for anyone ready to spin the reels on some wild and exciting games

FAQ

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Responsible Gambling

Animal slots offer a fun and playful gambling experience, but it’s important to remember that they still involve risk. Practicing responsible gambling is crucial, as gambling addiction can lead to severe financial and mental health challenges.

If you believe that you or someone you know may have a gambling problem, there are many online sites that offer assistance to problem gamblers, such as the ones listed below.

Resources

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Joe Yarnold
Casino & Betting Expert

Joe Yarnold joined the ReadWrite team in 2024 as a content editor and writer. He has several years of experience writing informative and educational articles on gambling. He specializes in sports betting but has experience, and knowledge of all forms of gambling including casino games, poker, and horse racing.