A new species joins the Park

A new and exciting species has joined Longleat in a move which has never been seen before at the Estate.

From today, three Maned wolves can be seen in the Drive-Through Safari when visitors stop to visit African Village. The trio have joined the Capybaras and Brazilian tapirs in a mixed habitat and are starting to explore the area.

Eloïse Kilbane, Lead Keeper for Hoofstock & Carnivores, said “We’re excited for guests to see the three new girls.

“Fleur, Arabella and Luna have already been living at the park for six months whilst we prepared their new home, making it even more exciting now our guests will be able to see them.

Maned wolves are a unique canine species, and despite their name are not actually wolves at all.

Maned wolves originate from South America and are described as looking ‘fox-like’. They reach a shoulder height of 74 – 91cm, mostly due to their long legs which help them see over long grasses as they would in the wild. Other adaptations include large ears to improve hearing and a dark mane along their back to make them seem bigger and more intimidating to prey when threatened. 

They are omnivores, meaning they primarily eat fallen fruit, insects, fish and only small amounts of meat.

“It’s always a pleasure to learn and care for a new species, and the Maned wolves feel even more special as they are the second new species to join the Drive-Through Safari after our African wild dogs.

“There are fewer than 17,000 maned wolves left in the wild and the species has seen a 20% reduction in just 15 years. This makes the three sisters incredibly important, even though we don’t plan to breed them currently.”