Our Maned Wolves are on the Move

A couple months back, a Maned wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP) meeting was facilitated by one of our conservation partners, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, VA. Once a year, all the breeding facilities get together to analyze the entire North American population of maned wolves. Nutritional health and management are all discussed but forming pairs for breeding is the most time-consuming. We went through every single maned wolf and made a plan for each individual.

As result of the SSP meeting, it was decided to retire our male ‘Zonka’ .  He has had multiple litters at White Oak, including our most recent two pups, and it was time for him to be a companion for another female.  Along with Zonka, his daughter ‘Zola’ was slated to pair with a male at another facility.

Zola was born at White Oak, and I remember peeking in the den discovering a pile of black fuzzy pups.  She was the smallest of the four, and the slowest pickiest eater of the group!  Although it is sad to see her leave, it is a very exciting move for her!

With Zonka and Zola now gone, we have space to receive a male for pairing with ‘Zoey’ (Zola’s sister)!  The male should arrive in the coming weeks and we will keep you posted on the pair’s progress!​

– Sophia Tribuzio, Animal Care Specialist