This is the Maned Wolf. But names can be deceiving. It is not a wolf. Nor is it a fox on stilts. In fact, it is not closely related to any other living canid, neither dog, coyote, or jackal—it is its own, unique species. The Maned Wolf is found in the grasslands of South America. When fully grown, it can reach up to 35 inches, the tallest wild member of the canine family—scientists theorize that their legs evolved to help them see above tall grasses and shrubs while looking for prey. When threatened, their thick mane hairs stand erect, making them look even larger. They are omnivores, eating armadillos, rodents, reptiles, and birds, as well as roots, bulbs, and a tomato-like fruit that, due to its popularity with the wolf, is known as the wolf apple. Unlike real wolves, the Maned Wolf doesn’t form packs or mate for life—for most of the year, they hunt, travel, and sleep alone. Their urine smells so much like marijuana smoke that the Dutch police department recently hunted for a pot-smoker illegally lighting up at the Rotterdam Zoo before realizing their culprit was a wolf marking its territory. Sadly, only around 17,000 mature Maned Wolf adults are thought to be left in the wild—their numbers have been decimated by hunting and habitat loss.
