Chrysocyon brachyurus
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is a large canine of South America. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and Paraguay, and is almost locally extinct in Uruguay. Its markings resemble those of a red fox but it is neither a fox nor a wolf. It is the only species in the genus Chrysocyon (from Greek χρῡσο-κύων [chrúso-kúōn], "golden dog"). The maned wolf's young pups appear to have darker fur than the bronze, grown ones.
It is the largest canine in South America, weighing 20–30 kg (44–66 lb) and up to 110 cm (43 in) at the withers. Its slender legs and dense reddish coat give it a distinctive appearance. The maned wolf is a crepuscular and omnivorous animal adapted to the open environments of the South American savanna, with an important role in the seed dispersal of fruits, especially the wolf apple (Solanum lycocarpum). The maned wolf is a solitary animal. It communicates primarily by scent marking, but also gives a loud call known as "roar-barking".
This mammal lives in open and semi-open habitats, especially grasslands with scattered bushes and trees, in the Cerrado of south, central-west, and southeastern Brazil, Paraguay, northern Argentina, and Bolivia east and north of the Andes, and far southeastern Peru (Pampas del Heath only). It is very rare in Uruguay, possibly being displaced completely through loss of habitat. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists it as near threatened, while it is considered a vulnerable species by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources. In 2011, a female maned wolf, run over by a truck, underwent stem cell treatment at the Zoo Brasília in the first recorded case of the use of stem cells to heal injuries in a wild animal. Wikipedia →
Recording0:06
Argentina · 2013
© Leonardo Adrián LEIVA · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:34
Brazil · 2023
© pedrohenriquetunes · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Serra da Canastra National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Chapada dos Guimarães National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Very likely
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Maned Wolf sighting in Emas National Park on a given day, based on 94 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 15 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–May and July–September
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Maned Wolf in Emas National Park on a given day, against about 50% in February and November, the lowest months. Those are among Emas National Park's driest months, with about 50 mm of rain a month against 190 mm in January.
Between 5 and 8 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Maned Wolf sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Maned Wolf sightings, Emas National Park has the highest daily chance: about 70%. Next come Serra da Canastra National Park (Brazil, about 50%) and Chapada dos Guimarães National Park (Brazil, about 10%).
Same family: Canidae
The closest relatives of the Maned Wolf that you can see in Emas National Park (family Canidae, Canids) are Crab-eating Fox (about 60%) and Hoary Fox (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Maned Wolf is recorded against all the mammals logged in Emas National Park (94 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
