Maned wolf
Chrysocyon brachyurus
The maned wolf resembles a red fox on stilts. Despite their appearance they are not related to the fox and despite their name, they are not members of the wolf family. The maned wolf is a member of the Canidae family and is a wild dog of South America.
The maned wolf’s long legs allow it to see above the tall grass to hunt for food while also avoiding predators. The wolf can also rotate its large ears to listen for the prey animals in the grass, before tapping the ground with front feet to flush it out before finally pouncing and catching it.
Maned wolves stand one metre tall at the shoulder, with a body length of 1.3 metres.
Maned wolves communicated through scent marking with their urine – this has a very pungent odour which visitors often smell in the zoo!
IUCN Status
The IUCN status of the Maned wolf is near threatened.
For more info on classifications visit www.iucnredlist.org (link opens in new window).