- Every Tuesday, Mongabay brings you a new episode of Candid Animal Cam, our show featuring animals caught on camera traps around the world and hosted by Romi Castagnino, our writer and conservation scientist.
Camera traps bring you closer to the secretive natural world and are an important conservation tool to study wildlife. This week we’re meeting the largest canid species in South America: the maned wolf.
The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is neither a fox nor a true wolf, but a distinct species —it’s closest relative is the South American bush dog. The maned wolf’s fox-like head, long reddish-brown fur, erect ears, long black legs and thick mane make it one of the most unique species in the animal kingdom. Maned wolves can generally be found in open grasslands in Brazil, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina and Bolivia. Due to primarily habitat loss, they are currently listed as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List. Watch the video to learn more about the fox on stilts!
Special thanks to Barba Azul Nature Reserve and Asociación Armonía for sharing this footage with us. The Barba Azul Nature Reserve is an 11,000 ha savanna sanctuary for the Blue-throated macaw. Located in the heart of the Beni region in northern Bolivia, this reserve is home to many rare mammal species such as the maned wolf, giant anteater, jaguar, puma and the marsh dear.
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Banner image: Barba Azul Nature Reserve / Asociación Armonía
Romi Castagnino is Mongabay’s bilingual writer. Find her on Twitter and Instagram: @romi_Castagnino
Correction: A previous version of this post did not include Bolivia as one of the countries where the maned wolf is found.