Whaldener Endo / WikiMedia CommonsThe largest canid in South America: spotted in cornfieldsWhaldener Endo / WikiMedia Commons
The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), typical of the Cerrado biome, has begun to appear further south: at least two of them have been captured on video in cornfields, a native forest, and a marsh near the Serra Geral National Park, on the border between the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. These are the first sightings of the animal in Rio Grande do Sul. A team of biologists from the company Tecniflora Assessoria e Planejamento Florestal and the Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG) found them by their tracks and with camera traps between March and November 2023. The fact that they were spotted on farms suggests they might be feeding on leftover corn—cornfields also attract birds and rodents. Over the last 17 years, 10 other maned wolves have been recorded in Brazil’s South region, of which only six were directly observed. Easily distinguishable by its long, thin legs and reddish fur, the maned wolf is the largest canid in South America, weighing up to 30 kilograms and measuring 90 centimeters tall (CheckList, February 9).
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