W is for Wolf
Taken by Spencer77 on Flikr, permission granted, link to his photos here.
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Maned wolves look like foxes with foal legs – and they are not wolves at all. They are related more closely to an ancient dog ancestor which also gave rise to types of South American foxes.
Their legs look out of proportion – they are about three feet tall, the largest canid in South America.
They are carnivores that hunt for small prey in the evening before midnight. They hunt alone, and mark their territory like a dog with urine – which has a peculiar smell, rather like cannabis.
Threats include habitat loss, disease from domestic dogs and being run over. They are classed as Near Threatened.
All material except photo © Liz Brownlee
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- Posted in: A-Z Challenge 2013
- Tagged: animal, dog, fox, nature, poetry, science, South America, sustainability, wolf
lizbrownlee - poet 
i have never seen a picture of a maned wolf before – I love foxes. So it appeals but looks odd at the same time if that makes sense. Lovely poem.
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Thank you! It does look odd – it looks awkward with those long legs, but moves very gracefully. If you look on Wikipedia there is video of them in a zoo in Japan, showing their walk.
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What a noble animal. Thanks for the poem
– Maurice Mitchell
The Geek Twins | Film Sketchr
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Hello, I’m afraid this went into spam… I’m so sorry I haven’t replied. Thank you!
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What an ethereal looking creature. I love its slenderness.
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It is a really strange creature Liz, very unlikely-looking!
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