If you’ve been watching David Attenborough’s Planet Earth III, then like us, you’ll have been mesmerised by the incredible, never-before-seen footage of the maned wolf. Filming inside the den of a wild maned wolf for the very first time (and yes, there are puppies!), the team hope to better understand early-stage development, and equip us with the knowledge to better protect this endangered species.
Very much unique in its family tree, this enigmatic creature is not what you’d expect. From its striking appearance, to behaviour, habitat, and threats from humans, we take a closer look at this fascinating and elusive animal.
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What is a maned wolf?
Neither wolf nor fox, the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is the only species in its genus (the Chrysocyon genus), which translates to ‘golden dog’. Although more reddish in colour, when the light is just right, the maned wolf shimmers gold in the South American sunlight.
They’re sometimes referred to as ‘foxes on stilts’ due to their somewhat fox-like appearance and long legs, but it’s these long legs that give them an advantage. Able to peer over the tops of the long grasses, the maned wolf can spot prey that might have otherwise escaped unnoticed.
The maned wolf is South America’s largest canid, and represents a unique branch of the canid family tree – it really is in a class of its own. Sadly, however, numbers are being threatened by human activity, including a land-use shift towards more irrigation practices and deforestation for agriculture.
What does a maned wolf look like?
The maned wolf is a tall, slender canid with distinctive – and rather fabulous – features. It has long, reddish-brown fur with black legs, and a mane running down its neck and back. Its legs are remarkably long, and it has a bushy, white-tipped tail. The maned wolf has a fox-like face with a prominent black nose, and large, upright ears, making it something akin to hyena-cross-fox-cross-deer-cross-wolf.
As the name suggests, the maned wolf has a ruffle of rufous-coloured fur around its shoulders. And it’s functional too; when threatened or acting aggressively, the maned wolf can puff up this ruffle of fur, a bit like cats do when scrapping with one another.
Where does the maned wolf live?
Maned wolves are found in South America. Their range includes parts of Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia, and a small area in south-eastern Peru. These unique canids inhabit a variety of ecosystems, from grasslands and savannas to shrublands and forests, and are known for their adaptability to different environments.
They inhabit the Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetland area, and the Cerrado, a vast tropical savannah in eastern Brazil composed of wet and dry forests, grasslands, savannas, marshes, and wetlands. Their presence extends to other regions within their range as well.
Why is the maned wolf important?
Maned wolves consume fruits native to the region, and by doing so, they spread the seeds throughout the biome (deposited in their faeces). This process is crucial for the regeneration and dispersal of plant species, and for maintaining biodiversity of plant species.
It also serves as an ‘indicator species’, informing on the health of the ecosystem. This means that their presence (or absence) can be a sign of a broader ecological imbalance, which could affect numerous other species in turn.
Are there maned wolves in the UK?
There are no wild maned wolves in the UK.
In captivity, a litter of five maned wolves (four males and one female) were born in November 2022 at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, while a single maned wolf was born in Exmoor Zoo in May 2023, as part of an ongoing breeding program.
What does the maned wolf eat?
As omnivores, the maned wolf eats both meat and plants. Their diverse tastes include invertebrates, roots, and grasses, as well as more conventional prey like small mammals, rodents, birds, and deer.
But these canids have another quirk to their diet; they also like to chow down on fruit.
Specifically lobeira, aka ‘wolfs fruit’, which can constitute up to 50 per cent of their diet. This tomato-like fruit is thought to have a dual purpose; as well as providing sustenance, it also aids in the expulsion of parasitic worms, particularly the deadly giant kidney worm, Dioctophyma renale.
How fast can a maned wolf run?
A maned wolf is an agile runner and can reach speeds of up to 48km per hour (30 miles per hour) in short bursts when chasing prey, or evading predators.
How tall is a maned wolf?
The maned wolf stands around 90cm (3 feet) tall and weighs in the region of 23kg (50lbs).
This lofty height is mostly down to the canid's long, slender legs, which are well-suited for their preferred grassland habitat. This elevated vantage point allows the maned wolf to spot prey – and potential threats – more easily over the tall grasses in its native South American habitat.
However, the maned wolf is still smaller and lighter than the gray wolf.
Behaviour and communication of the maned wolf
Unlike their pack-loving cousins, maned wolves are solitary, aloof creatures. They mark their territory by depositing strong-smelling urine and faces on high areas, like hillocks and termite mounds along their boundaries.
Instead of howling, they communicate using loud, or roaring barks to signal their location to their mate, which also discourages other wolves from approaching. During the breeding season, this behaviour of scent marking and vocalisation increases before the main event: mating.
The maned wolf is shy and elusive by nature, often avoiding human contact. It is primarily nocturnal and crepuscular, being most active during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk. This allows it to avoid the heat of the day, as well as minimising interactions with potential predators or competitors.
Are maned wolves related to other wolf species?
Despite their name, maned wolves are not closely related to other wolf species, like the common gray wolf or even the endangered red wolf. They belong to a distinct genus, Chrysocyon, and are the only species within that genus. In fact, they are more closely related to the very small, and even more elusive bush dog (Speothos venaricus), than they are wolves.
The maned wolf has a separate evolutionary history from the true wolves found in other parts of the world.
How long do maned wolves live?
It’s difficult to estimate the lifespan of maned wolves in the wild, but current best estimates suggest it’s around 6 to 8 years, although this is largely unknown due to their somewhat aloof and secretive nature. Factors such as habitat destruction and food availability influence life expectancy in their natural habitat.
Maned wolves are also vulnerable to sarcoptic mange, a highly contagious skin disease caused by parasitic mites, which can significantly affect their health and population.
Longevity estimates for captive animals suggest they may live longer in wildlife parks and sanctuaries, often reaching 10 to 15 years of age.
How many maned wolves are left in the wild?
Estimates of population numbers vary. In 2005, it was estimated that there were 23,600 individuals left in the wild, but this was later revised down to approximately 14,700 individuals, with the majority living in Brazil.
The maned wolf is listed by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as near-threatened, however since 1990 there have only been sporadic and unconfirmed sightings in Uruguay and is unofficially considered near-extinct in this region.
While they are not currently classified as ‘endangered’, they face several threats, including:
- Habitat reduction
- Road mortality
- Diseases (transmitted from domestic dogs)
- Poaching
- Fire
- Climate change
Deforestation and conversion of grassland-dominated regions to arable crops for cattle in eastern Brazil is widely thought as one of the major reasons for their decline.
Irrigation channels, which are being increasingly used for agriculture in the Cerrado biome, pose a significant threat not only to the maned wolf, but to other local wildlife. Lined with plastic, these channels are huge, man-made rivers that extend tens of kilometres in length.
Once an animal has fallen into one of these irrigation channels, the slippery plastic makes it almost impossible to get out. There are no fences protecting the boundaries of these channels, either, so the accident rate is high. This has prompted an urgent call to mitigate biodiversity losses in the Cerrado, by reviewing legislation, licensing, and assessing the true impacts these practices are having.
Elsewhere, there are a number of conservation efforts in place to protect the maned wolf, including the prohibition of hunting in Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia.
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