Despite its familiar general appearance, the Maned Wolf, or Chrysocyon brachyurus, is neither a fox, dog, jackal, wolf, or coyote. It's a totally unique canid and stalks the savannas of Central South America. Incredibly long-legged, almost to the point of teetering, the animal reminds me of the AT-AT (All-Terrain Armored Transport) walkers from The Empire Strikes Back. Its striking height is no doubt an adaptation to the tall grasslands of its native habitat, which in Brazil are rapidly being cleared and sowed with soy, corn, cotton, and sugar cane. We were lucky to encounter one on the road mid afternoon in Emas National Park, the largest protected grasslands in the country and probably the best place to encounter the Lobo-Guará in the wild.
