Introducing Maned Wolf, Timid,Tall and Not a Wolf at All
When is a wolf not a wolf - or a fox? When it’s a maned wolf, one of the unique species found only in the Pantanal or Cerrado. Image: Courtesy of ©Marcos Felix Photography and SouthWild.
Roberta Kravette, Co-Founder Destination: Wildlife
✓ Trip Tips
Where: Cerrado and Pantanal, Brazil
When: October, November
What: Wildlife safari, maned wolves
Learn More About Maned Wolf
Who: Wildlife and bird lovers, photographers
How: Small group tour
Click here to enquire.
Where do your thoughts go when Brazil comes to mind?
For me, it’s the lush Amazon rainforest, its thick canopy dotted with multi-colored birds. I hear the splash of caimans, the screeching – or howling – of new-world monkeys, and the almost-silent rustle of a powerful green-eyed cat gliding through the underbrush. Jaguar!
I do NOT think of a giant red fox with long black socks and a funny hairdo. But it, too, is Brazil.
Strangely Familiar Yet Odd - What is Maned Wolf?
The maned wolf is a curious but shy animal. Image: Courtesy of ©Marc Hubmann and SouthWild
The maned wolf (VU) is neither a tall fox nor a wolf; in fact, although it is the biggest canid in South America, it is in a family of its own.
This strangely familiar yet odd-looking creature gets its name from the black fur on its nape that stands on end when it gets nervous, making it look far fiercer than it probably feels. And I guess that’s the point. The maned wolf is a timid, often nervous, solitary creature.
Still, you would think that an animal of this size (95.1-145.5 long, weight 26.7-28 kg ) with “wolf” in its name would be a top predator, but the reality is different.
The omnivorous maned wolf’s teeth are relatively small, and their jaws are less strong than many wild canids. And while we usually think of wild canid species hunting in packs (think grey wolves, African-painted dogs, Australian dingoes), when a maned wolf hunts, it usually hunts alone. The maned wolf may bring down an occasional pampas’ deer. Still, for the most part, their meat protein comes from rodents, armadillos, eggs, birds (unfortunately, sometimes a farmer’s chickens are too temptingly easy to pass up), and insects.
The maned wolf’s long legs are an adaptation to its (tall ) grassland, Image: Courtesy of ©Marc Hubmann via SouthWild
Fully 50% of their diet is fruit, particularly from the lobeira (Solanum lycocarpum), a flowering shrub whose berry resembles a tomato. Maned wolves are so connected to the lobeira that their nickname is “wolf fruit.’ Researchers found that the nourishing fruit also helps them eliminate a parasite that attacks their kidneys. Clever beasts!
The maned wolf spends much of its time alone, except when raising a family, which is done in cooperative pairs.
Where Might We See a Maned Wolf?
Their long legs are a tip that we won’t find the maned wolf in Brazil’s Amazon forests. The maned wolf is a creature of the Cerrado and Pantanal, and their “homeland” may be just as under-discovered as the species, although they share it with a unique roster of plants, animals, and birds, some of which are found nowhere else on the planet. Read more about the Brazillian Cerrado. And here are some places we find a maned wolf!
The solitary maned wolf mates for life, but the partners only come together for breeding and pup raising, then separate until it is time to begin again. Image: Courtesy of ©Layra Martins and SouthWild
What are the Cerrado and Pantanal?
The Cerrado lies mainly in Brazil but stretches into northeast Paraguay and eastern Bolivia. It is the world’s most biodiverse region of savannah, grasslands, wet and dry forests, and marshes. 5% of the Earth’s plants and animals are found here, including 837 bird species, 199 different mammals, 120 reptiles, 150 amphibians, and more. Jaguars (NT) roam here, too, along with that ecosystem engineer, the Giant Armadillo (VU), and the largest terrestrial mammal in South America, the tapir (VU.)
In Parnaiba Headwaters National Park, a protected section of Brazilian Cerrado, you’ll find maned wolves, capuchin monkeys, and a host of other wildlife. Image: Thanks to ©SouthWild
And the Cerrado is critical for sequestering carbon and supplying clean water. Of Brazil’s 12 hydrological regions – six, including the Pantanal, begin in the Cerrado.
The Pantanal is the Earth’s largest tropical wetland. Its waterways are a prime habitat for jaguars and are the best places on Earth to see them. Their nonchalant attitudes as they laze on the riverbanks, surveying their domain and waiting for “lunch” to swim by, is testimony to their top predator status.
Another Pantanal resident is the capybara (LC), a large rodent that will never be confused with a church mouse. This web-footed excellent swimmer can grow to the size of a St. Bernard dog!
The Pantanal is also home to the magnificent Hyacinth Macaw (VU), the world’s largest parrot. Wildlife trafficking and hunting almost extirpated this beauty, but thanks to conservation and rehabilitation efforts, about 3,000 exist here – and they are not shy; have your camera ready!
The Jabiru stork (LC) is also at home in the Pantanal. Although they are sometimes confused with other, smaller storks, only the huge Jabiru is considered a symbol of the Pantanal. This is the largest flying bird (up to 140cm/4.6ft tall, wingspan 260cm/8.5ft) in South and Central America. Its name means swollen neck, and indeed, when they get excited, their throat sacks expand, making them look like they swallowed a baseball. Look for the Jabiru’s all-white body and wings.
But among all the creatures of the Pantanal and Cerrado, the maned wolf is one of the least known and rarely seen – unless you know where to look!
So, How Do We Find a Maned Wolf?
The Maned Wolf’s sweet face and gentle nature belies its name. Image: Courtesy of ©Marc Hubmann via SouthWild
Well, we could listen for their roar-bark. Maned wolves do not howl.
Sniffing the air might help. The maned wolf has an odor only another maned wolf could love.
Even so, elusive maned wolves can be challenging to find unless, of course, you are privy to our “secret” maned wolf stronghold in the Pantanal, close enough to the “jaguar” river that both species (plus hyacinth macaws, capybaras, tapirs, caiman, and more) can be enjoyed, watched, and photographed, in one trip.
The best time to go? November. Why? By November, the dry season is coming to a close; life-giving rains punctuate the days, cooling and cleansing the air and relaxing the wildlife so we can enjoy it.
Vital Habitats Under Pressure
Both the Cerrado and the Pantanal are under pressure from legal and illegal mining, herding, farming, and other development – and fire. We hear about the Amazon fires, but the Cerrado and the Pantanal have also been burning at an alarming rate, with human-set fires fanned by climate change-induced drought. By October, the fires are dying; in November, they are out.
And that is another excellent reason to visit the Pantanal. The good news is that responsible tourism (tourism that directly benefits local communities) makes it economically strategic for local communities to preserve their nature. Our (responsible) visits provide one deterrent to more fires and a reason for local communities to protect the Earth’s lungs, water supply – and its creatures, great and small.
Sometimes, the most helpful thing we can do is also the most wonderful. In the Cerrado and Pantanal, tall grasses gently rustle; brilliant hyacinth macaws crack nuts in their powerful beaks; a howler monkey’s call wafts on the breeze, on the riverbank powerful, green-eyed cats lounge while a maned wolf tip-toes its cautious way toward a fruitful meal.
We’ll be headed to the Pantanal in November 2025. Spots are limited. Join us.
The birds, the cats, and a lovely, tall canid in black stockings await us.
The maned wolf waits our visit to the Brazilian Cerrado or Pantanal - the only places on earth where they exist. Image: Courtesy of ©Marcos Felix and SouthWild