Ecology and Conservation of the Maned Wolf ― Multidisciplinary Perspectives

Wolves are considered controversial figures worldwide: mythical creatures as well as troublemakers, conservation efforts on their behalf are often polarizing. In recent years much effort has focused on the discussion of how to conserve large carnivores, such as wolves, while addressing public concerns. Compared to the grey wolf, little is known about the maned wolf, the peculiarities of its relationship with local people and the environment, and the reasons for its decline, making research about the species an urgent concern. This book gathers the work of the leading researchers in the field about different aspects of maned wolf conservation (feeding ecology, distribution, people's attitudes, habitat studies, conservation projects for the species in and ex situ) and also provides innovative perspectives for the future of conservation strategies (education, human dimensions, ethno conservation) worldwide.

Adriana Consorte-McCrea, Ph.D., began her research career studying the captive breeding of maned wolves through an apprenticeship in Sao Paulo Zoo in 1986. She has contributed to environmental education programs for the education departments of Wildwood Trust, the Natural History Museum–Tring, and Zoological Society of London Whipsnade Zoo. Adriana currently lectures at Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent, UK, where she founded and chairs the interdisciplinary Wildlife and People Initiative (part of CCCU’s Ecology Research Group), promoting discussion and research about relationships between wildlife and society, in the context of biodiversity conservation. Her main interest areas are attitudes toward wild carnivores and maned wolf conservation. She is a member of the Reintroduction Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Species Survival Commission.

Eliana Ferraz Santos, Ph.D., is a native of Campinas (SP, Brazil), where she has worked for many years in biology and management of wild animals in Campinas Zoo. She has coordinated the Jequitibas Woods Zoo of Campinas since 2004, where she also serves as a zoologist. She has been the director of the "Associacao Mata Ciliar" at the Canine Department of Jundiai, and the founder and coordinator of the Project Echoes of the Woods (voluntary environmental education project) in Jequitibas Woods since 1997. Eliana has experience in zoology, working mainly in the areas of animal behavior, ecology of wild animals, captive animal management, and environmental enrichment. She has been an effective partner at the Paulista Society of Zoos since 1998, where she has directed the biology department since 2002.