Morbidity and mortality.

The health status of a population of maned wolves (MW), Chrysocyon brachyurus, in Noel Kempff Mercado National Park (NKP), Bolivia, was studied from 2000 to 2009 by direct observations, GPS and vHF telemetry, and biomaterial collection. A total of 12 MW were anesthetized for 33 events. Causes of morbidity included severe dental disease, skin lesions, lameness, endoparasites (among them, Dioctophyme renale and Dirofilaria immitis), ectoparasites, urinary cystine calculi, traumatic injuries, and exposure to infectious disease agents. During this decade, five of the 12 (42%) MW died. Age at time of death varied from 1.5 to >10 years. Pathologic findings identified postmortem included vertebral pathology (n = 2) and severe dental disease (n = 2). The remaining seven MW either emigrated with fate unknown or were alive in 2009 and ranged in age from 8 months to 7 years. Maned wolves in NKP are geriatric by age 8 or 9. We estimated that a total of seven litters were born to three resident adults. Of these seven litters, five included at least one pup raised to 6–8 months subadults and two litters were lost, one at 16 days and the other at 5 months (Chapter 5). Our data support the observation that dental and skeletal diseases are limiting factors for the longevity of both captive and freeliving MW.