Right at the entrance to the Itatiaia National Park, located in Itamonte, Minas Gerais, 270 km from São Paulo, a paper attached to the cork mural lists the names and telephone numbers of the “victims” of the maned wolves that inhabit the area.
The animals have acquired the habit of snapping up and carrying into the forest any belongings of visitors they see: an attack backpack, a Mitsubishi car key and a wallet with documents and cards, for example.
A circle in blue pen around the list and the word “ok” is a sign that those objects have already been retrieved by park guides, who manage to send them back to their owners.
Maned wolves circulate in the upper part, where it is possible to visit the main attraction of the place, the Agulhas Negras peak. This part of the park is accessed by a 20 km long dirt road in poor condition. Due to the bad conditions, it takes almost an hour to be covered by car.
Regulars say that attacks usually occur at night —the species is known for its nocturnal habits—, when tourists return to their tents at the campsite and start preparing dinner.
The victims are unanimous in stating that the maned wolf is docile and runs away in the face of more abrupt movements, often a reaction to the fright of coming across an animal that is almost one meter tall and weighing around 30 kilos in the dark.
The guide Jonatas Rocha, 34, estimates that there are six to seven animals that frequent the camping area. “There hasn’t been a week they haven’t been ready,” he says.
He says that he witnessed the desperate search of a tourist who left his backpack at the entrance to the bathroom and, when he returned, the belonging was gone. “I said the wolf caught it, but he got even more nervous and didn’t believe it, he thought I was joking,” he recalls. In addition to belongings, the backpack had food for the visitor to spend the night.
The search for the stolen backpack mobilized the campers until one of them aimed his flashlight in the middle of the open space and caught two eyes in the darkness. “We caught him in the act, with his head in his backpack,” says the guide.
Attendant Carol Campos, 22, recalls that she had to rely on the solidarity of other visitors after a maned wolf stole the bag where all the food she and friends had taken to spend a few days camped in the park was. “We tied the bag over the common area, but he took it anyway.”
To avoid inconveniences, park employees ask visitors not to leave food and other belongings inside tents because it is not uncommon for the animal to tear the canvas to satisfy curiosity, or even hunger.
There are also reports of a tourist who had the drone dragged into the forest by the maned wolf, and another who lost a bottle of whiskey, despite alcoholic beverages being prohibited in the preservation area. For this reason, the most frequent visitors got used to leaving backpacks and groceries inside their cars.
Native to the cerrado, the maned wolf is one of the species that had its population growth affected by the advance of urban areas in preserved regions. Another risk factor is the dispersal of animals along roads and highways that cut through their habitat.
According to the ICMBio (Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation), roadkill is responsible for the death of a third of puppies per year.
Most objects taken by wolves are left in the forest and end up being found by guides or groups walking along the trails, but not always in good condition. The stolen drone, for example, was recovered in pieces, as well as the packages of what would be a camper’s dinner are found.
To prevent nighttime attacks, the park’s concession project included installing iron boxes in the campground so visitors could safely leave their belongings. The improvement, however, is not yet available, as well as most of the planned actions.
The manager of the Itatiaia National Park, Luiz Gonzaga Barbosa Aragão, shows concern with the proximity of wild animals to human coexistence, which can bring diseases to the species.
Therefore, it is recommended not to interact if you encounter the wolf. “We, who are in their house, must respect,” concludes Aragão.
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