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What animals did Neanderthals hunt and eat?

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Neanderthal Artist's rendering of Homo neanderthalensis, who ranged from western Europe to Central Asia for some 100,000 years before dying out approximately 30,000 years ago.

Neanderthals maintained a broad, diverse diet that included terrestrial, marine, and riverine resources. While they are often characterized as having "wolfish" diets comparable to carnivores, evidence from dental calculus and fossilized fecal matter indicates they also consumed significant amounts of plant matter.1

Their hunting practices relied on a variety of local animals, with archaeological sites yielding the bones of species such as:

Large mammals: Including rhinoceros, mammoths, and horses.2
Other game: Including red deer and ibex.2
Aquatic resources: Including fish and various mollusks.1

Neanderthals utilized specialized tools to kill and process these animals. While they engaged in active hunting, they likely also relied on scavenging meat from already dead animals. In some instances, such as at La Cotte de Sainte Brelade, evidence suggests they may have driven large animals like mammoths and rhinoceroses over cliff edges to kill them.12