Maned "Wolf"

 

Despite it's deceptive name and appearance, the maned wolf is neither wolf nor fox. The so-called wolf is actually a South American canid, the lone descendant of the now extinct Pleistocene species. While the maned fox’s closest living relative is the bush dog, the maned fox is also not a coyote, dog or jackal. The maned wolf is singularly and distinctively canid with the scientific name, Chrysocyon brachyurus. Like its ancestors, the maned wolf lives in South America, namely Brazil. Paraguay, Argentina, Peru and Bolivia. They prefer a habitat of tall grasslands but also favor shrubs, open-canopy woodlands and marshlands. Their diet also varies; maned wolves are omnivores, feeding on small rodents, birds, fish, insects and reptiles. They also scavenge, eating dead animals and fruit. They hunt at night and are generally solitary animals.

 

Chrysocyon brachyurus is currently listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN Red List and as Vulnerable by the Brazilian government. Their decline is due in part to their habitat needs. Maned wolves require large regions of untouched natural space. The biggest threat to the species is the loss of habitat due to agricultural development. While there are reserves for maned wolves, the neighboring human areas create further problems. Roads fragment the large regions preferred by the wolves, creating subpopulations and undercutting biodiversity. The wolves also may die by accidental human actions; maned wolves are often found by highways as roadkill. Additionally, the domestic dogs of neighboring towns can kill and disease them. Their deaths are not entirely accidentally, however. South American native folk medicine uses some of their body parts medicinally and they are hunted for sport despite the illegality of doing so in Brazil.

The maned wolf is the apex predator of its region. As an omnivore, it consumes both vegetation and prey. As mentioned earlier, their diet varies greatly. They consume numerous species of animal, ranging from armadillos to birds to insects. They also eat dead animals. Since their diet split 50/50, they do eat a reasonable amount of fruit and vegetables. These fruits and vegetables consist primarily of tubers, sugarcane and a tomato-like fruit known as the wolf apple. Given the variety of the maned wolf’s diet, its role in the ecosystem is even more paramount than the typical apex predator. Not only does the maned wolf manage the population of smaller animal species, it keeps the plant species in check as well. Furthermore, their tendency to eat dead animals speeds the decomposition of those animals. Without the maned wolf, both plant and animal species would overpopulate. With overpopulation, there would be even more dying animals and, without the maned wolf, those dead animals would decompose more slowly, leading to less fertile soil. Overall, the ecosystem would radically change for the worse if the maned wolf is not saved.

 

Luckily, there are current conservation efforts in effect to prevent the demise of the maned wolf. One such effort is the Brazilian government’s outlawing of maned wolf poaching. The Brazilian government also created two national parks of Caraca and Emas to protect the animal.  The World Wildlife Fund has also created two conservation efforts that apply to the habitats of the maned wolf: the Coordination for the Conservation of the Atlantic Forest Ecoregion and the Forest Conversion Programme. Both efforts work to keep areas natural despite the spread of developmentation. The maned wolf also lives in zoos that work to promote their breeding and the spread of education regarding their endangerment. The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums currently has a project, Maned Wolf Conservation, aimed toward the protection of the species.

 

Yet the species could still benefit from the efforts of individuals!

Ways to Help:

1.  Visit one of many zoos working to help the species breed, such as the Philadelphia Zoo, the San Diego Zoo, and the Denver Zoo.
2. Donate to the World Wildlife Fund or the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (links above) to support their ongoing projects.
3. Spread the word about the maned wolf! Share this page or any of the foundations listed above to promote awareness about this threatened species.
4. Buy brands approved by The Forest Stewardship Council or support the brands on this list to prevent buying products that increase the destruction of the maned wolf's habitat.

Sources:

• "Chrysocyon brachyurus" IUCN Red List. Web. July 20 2014. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/4819/0
• “Maned Wolf” World Wildlife Fund. Web. July 20 2014. http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/species/profiles/mammals/wolf_maned/