Two Maned Wolf pups were born December 21st at the Little Rock Zoo and are growing strong!
The pups’ parents are ‘Gabby’ and ‘Diego’. Gabby occasionally takes her pups out into the yard of her exhibit, allowing visitors to catch a glimpse every so often. The pups are expected to fully be out on exhibit in the next two to three months.
The Maned Wolf is a South American native whose range extends from the Amazon basin rain forest in Brazil to the dry shrub forests of Paraguay and northern Argentina.
Maned Wolves have chestnut red pelage over rather large bodies, and black pelage on their long, slender legs, feet and muzzle. They have long red fur covering necks, backs, and chests which they can stand on end to give the appearance of a mane.
The Maned Wolf also differs from true North American wolves in diet and temperament. These gentle and very timid wolves are solitary by nature. Only during the breeding season would you generally see more than one at a time.
The Maned Wolf is omnivorous, eating a combination of fruits, vegetables and meat. It often preys on small birds, rodents and frogs, and favors fruits such as bananas, apples and avocados.
The Maned Wolf is misunderstood and widely persecuted. For years it was hunted and killed by farmers who believed that the wolves were killing their poultry and livestock. The Maned Wolf’s small teeth and jaws make it hard for it to kill large prey, but it is often blamed because of its intimidating size.
The Maned Wolf is listed as near threatened in its native range. This listing is due to loss of habitat by encroaching human populations, the introduction of certain diseases and a belief that certain of its organs have medicinal healing powers.
The development of a Species Survival Plan (SSP) has enabled the breeding of Maned Wolves in captivity. The SSP program aims to pair up genetically significant individuals to produce offspring with the greatest genetic variation.