Ecology and Conservation of the Maned Wolf

Book excerpt: Wolves are controversial figures worldwide and much effort has focused on how to conserve them while addressing public concerns. With its solitary habits and fruit-eating diet, the endangered maned wolf roams the South American grasslands and swamps, playing a vital part in maintaining biodiversity hotspots. Compared to the grey wolf, little is known about its relationship with local people and the environment and the reasons for its decline, making research about this unique species an urgent concern. Ecology and Conservation of the Maned Wolf: Multidisciplinary Perspectives gathers the work of leading researchers from diverse disciplines and countries, covering up-to-date research on the biology, ecology, and conservation of the maned wolf. It presents innovative insights that can benefit conservation strategies and offers perspectives for the future of the species. The book is divided into three parts. Part I explains the general issues concerning the maned wolf: population viability, the relationship between maned wolves and people, and the management of captive maned wolves. It also reviews current aspects of species biology, including conservation genetics, feeding ecology, social structure and reproduction, and conservation medicine. Part II contains case studies that present knowledge gathered from conservation programs and field research in all countries where the species is currently found—Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay. Part III offers perspectives from diverse fields of research, exploring the challenges and opportunities connecting maned wolf conservation efforts with those of its habitat and of other endangered species. This includes education and communication tools, the application of human dimensions research to maned wolf conservation, ethnoconservation perspectives, and the ecological and socioeconomic challenges to the conservation of the cerrado habitat.