New Arrival from Germany...
02/02/2019
Maned Wolves are found on the open Pampas grasslands in several South American countries. They are under pressure and declining across their range. They are not Wolves or Foxes, and are not actually related to any other living wild dog. The Maned Wolf's closest relative has been shown to be the Falkland Island 'Wolf', the only Canid to have become extinct in modern times; which had no fear of man and was wiped out by human settlers. Its extinction was forecast by Charles Darwin when he visited the Falklands in 1833. It was the only native land mammal on the islands, and was extinct by 1876.
Maned Wolves have always been a great favourite at Hamerton, and will remain an important part of our collection. This beautiful and endangered wild dog is loved by everyone who has the patience and interest to watch for it; but because it is quite shy and only lives in pairs or on its own, it is often considered not very 'box office' so many zoos ignore it, or have phased it out. This is not our policy at Hamerton Zoo Park, where we have bred the Maned Wolf several times in the past. With the help of the EEP (European Breeding Programme) we now have a new pair; our new female who was imported last year, and new male 'Carlos' who came from Leipzig Zoo in Germany, just this week. The couple were out together in the large paddock for the first time today.
Building works have progressed over the relatively dry winter - with two new Cheetah enclosures and a house just finished, alterations to the car-parks and entrance well underway, and three enclosures for new species received last autumn, (but still currently off-show) nearing completion too. A very busy, albeit at times rather miserable time of year!