Playing this game is hard as an animal lover

[Gemina]

But with few (if any?) exceptions, once you get past ARR there are no longer blue icon animals (aside from B-ranks). You step out into the first Heavensward zone and every last animal — even the deer — are out for your blood. If I'm remembering correctly, I think the only non-Hunt blue icon mobs are elementals.

And that feels very odd from a world-building perspective. It definitely makes it feel less like a natural environment and more like "just a video game".

Hmm. If we were to flesh out FFXIV's fauna into the real world, I would say more often than not you would be wise to keep your distance much like we do in-game lest we desire a fury of hooves and mandibles chasing after us.