Zookeepers in the South West are celebrating the birth of two rare maned wolf pups at Paignton Zoo.
Born in November to parents Tolock and Lua, the pups have yet to be named. Paignton Zoo, recently saved from closure following a change in ownership, highlighted the significance of the births for conservation, noting that fewer than 17,000 maned wolf pups survive in the wild across South American grasslands.
Staff had been observing the parents for months, noticing “promising signs” as early as September ahead of the pups’ arrival. Senior mammal keeper Cindy Naylor said: “We can’t believe how well-timed everything was. The pair had been together long before the breeding season and we were monitoring their behaviours closely.”
She added that Lua conceived “almost immediately” after coming into heat, describing it as “perfect timing”. Visitors to the zoo can now see the pups alongside Tolock and Lua in a grassy enclosure with tree branches.
Maned wolves are the largest canids in South America, a group that includes dogs, foxes and jackals. According to the Canid Specialist Group, most maned wolves are found in Brazil and are classed as “near threatened” due to habitat loss.
Female maned wolves are fertile for only about five days a year, with a gestation period of 65 days, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. The species stands nearly 1 metre tall, can weigh up to 25kg, and is largely solitary outside the breeding season, feeding on small mammals, insects and plant matter.
Paignton Zoo added that the species is managed through the European Endangered Species Programme to maintain genetic diversity and support potential future reintroduction efforts.
