Decisions like this are not taken lightly and are vetted through a committee of GSC experts trained in animal welfare. His mate, Anaheim, was given the opportunity to say goodbye and her behavior will be closely monitored in the weeks ahead. Sam Young says Nazca had an advanced lung cancer. Although the results of a necropsy are pending, Veterinarian Dr. Fluid was found in his chest cavity.ĭue to his age, the advanced state of the illness, and his rapidly declining quality of life, the decision was made to humanely euthanize him. An ultrasound-guided aspiration biopsy revealed concerning cells. Crackles, wheezing, and wet sounds were observed when listening to his lungs. In an attempt to identify the cause, he was brought to our on-site animal hospital where our veterinary team performed an exam. Over the weekend, staff observed some swelling in his neck. Nazca was just shy of his 11 th birthday and was considered a senior, as the lifespan of maned wolves in captivity is typically 10 – 14 years of age.įor the last few weeks, Nazca had exhibited a cough that caused our animal care team concern. It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Nazca, our male maned wolf and the father of the four puppies recently born here at the GSC. Be sure to stop by the maned wolf exhibit the next time you visit for a chance to see these playful pups in action! On nicer days, they tend to sleep in their outdoor den boxes, which are heated to stay above 50 degrees – for those cool nights! If it’s especially cold outside, they often opt to sleep inside the blockhouse, where temperatures are heated to a nice, warm 73 degrees.Īs you can see, our maned wolf pups are growing up quickly under the faithful care of our dedicated animal care staff. You may be wondering why the pups are coming inside so late at night to eat! Our maned wolves are given the choice to come and go as they please after hours. Cystinuria can be deadly, so keepers work hard to ensure our animals eat a well-balanced diet! If maned wolves eat too much meat, they can get cystinuria, a condition in which crystals form in their urine. Mixing the meat with fruits and veggies also helps keep their meat intake in check. Mixing everything together ensures they are motivated to eat their veggies! The fruits and veggies are pureed and mixed with the meat because, while meat is their favorite, as omnivores, fruits and veggies are vital to their health. The puppies are eating the same food that their mom eats: 30% ground beef mixed with 70% pureed fruits and veggies, plus supplements. In order to determine whether the pups are eating by themselves or still relying on mom, Anaheim, as their main source of food, Lauren installed night vision cameras in their blockhouse. Keeper Lauren has been providing them with “grown-up” food, but since they’re still shy around people, she hasn’t been able to see them actively eating on their own. Until then, they'll continue to match up wolves and hope for pups the old-fashioned way.At just over three months old, our four maned wolf puppies, Stella, Luna, Betts, and Cieza, are fully weaned. Now, they are trying to adapt IVF for the maned wolf. Jennifer Nagashima worked with Cornell University to perform theįirst successful in-vitro fertilization in domestic dogs. "They only have two to three days that they will breed a year," says Songsasen.īecause the wolves mate so infrequently, Songsasen is working on developing reproductive tools to breed the wolves. But mating wolves isn't as simple as putting two of them together. Songsasen uses these genetic values as well as the health, age, and location of the wolves to make a match. That's because genetic diversity helps a population survive. The less related two wolves are, the better suited they are as potential mates. Each wolf is given a genetic value that corresponds with how related they are to other wolves. In order to play matchmaker for the maned wolves, Songsasen works with scientists all over the country to build a genetic database of the wolves currently in captivity. Basically, a backup population of captive maned wolves in case the animals become extinct in the wild. Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute that is attempting to breed an insurance population of maned wolves. Janice Sveda/Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute A maned wolf pup born Januat the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia.
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