The maned wolf is South America largest canid with unique ecological adaptations. Habitat loss and road mortality are key conservation and welfare challenges.
Wild maned wolf welfare is threatened by the dramatic and ongoing conversion of the Brazilian Cerrado, one of the most biodiverse savannas in the world, to soy and cattle production. Individual welfare harms include road collisions causing injury and death, snare entanglement, and dog attacks in agricultural landscapes. As large, wide-ranging solitary animals, maned wolves are vulnerable to landscape fragmentation that increases crossing of roads and human-modified areas. Conservation programs combining wildlife crossings, livestock coexistence initiatives, and habitat restoration in the Cerrado represent the most effective integrated approaches. Captive populations in zoos and breeding centers serve both as insurance populations and ambassadors for Cerrado conservation education.