Maned wolves — the tallest wild canids in South America — face welfare threats from vehicle collisions, disease, and agricultural encroachment on their cerrado habitat.
Road collisions cause severe traumatic injuries to maned wolves — broken bones, internal bleeding, and head trauma — that are often fatal without prompt veterinary intervention. Injured wolves are frequently not found until hours after collision, prolonging suffering. Disease spillover from unvaccinated domestic dogs causes canine distemper outbreaks that produce neurological deterioration and prolonged suffering before death. Habitat fragmentation forces maned wolves into risky road crossings more frequently. Wildlife crossing infrastructure and domestic dog vaccination campaigns in maned wolf range are among the most cost-effective welfare interventions.