Trio of Rare Maned Wolf Pups Are Thriving at the Smithsonian Zoo’s Conservation Campus

Behind the scenes at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, our team is working to secure a future for a rare and elusive canine: the maned wolf.

With their long, slender legs and rust-colored coats, maned wolves are built for stealthily patrolling the grasslands and scrub forests of South America. Breeding this species under human care is notoriously challenging, which makes the arrival of newborn wolves an especially exciting milestone.

Earlier this year, our animal care teams welcomed three maned wolf pups at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI), our 3,200 acre off-exhibit conservation campus in Virginia. Despite a few early challenges, all three are thriving and developing personalities of their own. What's more, the 7-month-old pups are giving us a fascinating glimpse into maned wolf family life! 

Get the latest in this update from the SCBI carnivore keeper team.

The eldest, Luana — who we call “Lu” — was born in mid-December to 8-year-old Eliana and 11-year-old Nikko. Two weeks later, sisters Ayla and Alandra were born to Terra, 7, and Bravo, 12.

Right from the start, Lu has proven to be a precocious pup. She is already scale-, crate-, and station-trained, eagerly explores new things, and is especially fond of enrichment, particularly anything that involves water.

Due to some health issues with her mom Eliana, Lu had to be separated from her much earlier than usual. That’s when her father Nikko stepped in. Although housed in the neighboring yard, we observed Nikko displaying natural paternal behaviors — regurgitating food and pulse whining, a repetitive call used between parents and pups to prompt feeding — so we carefully introduced him to Lu.

The pair hit it off. He quickly began teaching her social boundaries, safe play behaviors, and the survival skills that a wild parent would pass along to a young pup. And Lu took full advantage of her father’s patience: she seemed to love climbing all over Nikko and pulling on his tail.

It’s common for maned wolf fathers to help raise their pups in the wild, and we can say with confidence that Nikko is a natural at being a dad. Eliana recovered nicely, but the long separation meant mother and daughter couldn’t be reunited, making Nikko’s role as a caregiver even more important. 

Unlike their fellow pup, Ayla and Alandra have taken a quieter approach to growing up. In fact, they’re so shy that we struggle to get good photos of them! The pair like to spend most of their days laying together in their den boxes, venturing out when keepers aren’t around. Still, the signs of play are there: cardboard boxes torn to shreds and food bowls mysteriously relocated overnight.

Although a health concern required us to temporarily separate Alandra from mom and her sister for treatment, we were able to reunite the family group successfully. Since then, both pups have started to come out of their dens a bit more while keepers are nearby. Just last week, we observed Ayla attempting to share some food we presented to Terra… although mom wasn’t in the mood to share! 

At SCBI, scientists, veterinarians, and animal care experts study animal biology, reproduction, and behavior to ensure species like the maned wolf can survive, both at our 3,200-acre research campus and in the wild. 

Maned wolf populations are dwindling across South America as their grassland habitat is lost to agricultural expansion. Breeding this species at SCBI allows us to research more effective ways to protect and preserve their wild counterparts. 

As a cooperating partner in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan, breeding successes at SCBI will help the entire network strengthen the North American maned wolf population’s genetic diversity. (In fact, this program is led by our own Dr. Nucharin Songsasen, who coordinates breeding efforts across the AZA network.) Closely documenting the pups’ early experiences will provide researchers with valuable insights into how personality, parental care, and early-life challenges can influence a maned wolf’s growth and development.

Although the pups likely won’t ever be on public view at the Zoo (they’re part of our off-exhibit breeding program), the knowledge they provide will help improve care for maned wolves everywhere. And in the process, they’re giving us an adorable but hard-to-come-by opportunity to better understand the behavior of one of South America’s most enigmatic predators.

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