Mastodawn

I found tiny leggies! Well one.

Yeah, she is missing her tail. How it happened is a mystery. I have talked to a keeper there I know a tiny bit. She is 54 days old now. Their guess is that a mixture of being really young and very inexperienced parents lead to that accident. It wasn’t chewed off from stress or anything but both are first time parents and the father has absolutely no idea what to do with the little thing. Nor how to carry it. You could say a cliche dad. :p

But there weren’t any complications or infections so she’s doing well for now and already out for adventure while her parents are very much asleep.

One downside he told me is rather unexpected, at least for me. They need to find another zoo to take her as leggies don’t tolerate them much after a year. But it’s apparently hard to find zoos willing to take such animals. At worst they’d need to keep her in a separated enclosure that doesn’t exist yet. Hm, maybe I should ask if I can have a leggy. Still looks illegally cute to me.

Bird or orb… #Borb Is that a used hashtag? I only know a python module with that name. :D

狐ヴィクシー 3d ago

@keeya yes it’s used and yes it’s a good one!

Delta Sierra 3d ago

@keeya Aww she is *adorable*, sad about her tail though :'(

@notthatdelta I think she will do fine now. The keeper was a bit concerned as they use their tail to communicate quite a bit it seems, together with their mane. But in the end, if the parents manage to raise her that is, it should be ok. And she probably survived the worst now, being almost 2 months old. Smol canine kits are tough as nails. :D

We had the same with the fennec foxes, their first ever litter didn't survive sadly. Now with our new pair the male has some experience at least.

I think being born in a zoo still drastically increases their chance of survival. But that's just nature. Cruel or not, but always true neutral in alignment.

Delta Sierra 3d ago

@keeya Oh that's good! Unfortunate it may make communication more difficult but at least she's healthy otherwise.

Nature can indeed be rough, but at least it's not personal!

@notthatdelta I imagine she will do fine. At worst she can live out her life somewhere sheltered and cared for. And that's not all bad as well if someone loves caring for her. :3

For a very long time we had a single leggy, he was 17 years old. And also lived alone for the last years. That's why everyone at the zoo is really excited because we are part of the breeding conservation program but weren't able to get young ones for over ten years.

Delta Sierra 3d ago

@keeya they're pretty comfortable with a solitary lifestyle, yes? And do they bond with their keepers at all?

@notthatdelta I actually don't know about the keepers' relationship with the animals but there is only ever one I see in their place. I think they try to keep them distanced enough so they stay a bit shy and not have issues with getting too friendly with the visitors. There is always that one idiot trying to "feed" zoo animals.

From what I know maned wolves are solitary. I have only ever seen mated pairs in zoos but the young ones always move on after the first year. They should be pretty content being alone. Ours lived to be 17 years and I'd assume if they are not treated well and aren't content, they won't get to such an old age.

Interesting that there is not much known about them in the wild. From Wikipedia

The maned wolf's longevity in the wild is unknown, but estimates in captivity are between 12 and 15 years.

So ours was indeed very old. :3

Delta Sierra 3d ago

@keeya Oh wow, yeah that's an impressive stretch!

I wonder about enrichment for a species that doesn't socialize much. I know some animals bond with their keepers, but if maned wolves don't... won't they get bored? What does a maned wolf do for fun anyway (I mean, I know what I do for fun, but I don't think it applies).

Just musing here, ha.

@notthatdelta Things I have observed: digging very large holes, destroying trees, chewing up and deflating footballs, destroying the keeper's watering can and stealing brooms and tools to bury them, obliterating vicious bags of hay and scattering the contents all over the place so the keeper has to manually clean it up.

And I guess too many other things when no one is watching. :D I saw him today, when talking, with tennis balls on a stick on the way to the leggies so maybe those will be used too sometimes.

If I remember I will try to ask him next time I meet him there and he has a few minutes.

Delta Sierra 2d ago

@keeya That would be cool, I'm always curious to know more about maned wolf habits :)

@keeya Awh, thanks so much for sharing! What a cutie.

Gallen 🔜 Gdakon, EF 3d ago

@keeya
Time to buy a giant plot of land to raise cute leggies!

@sequentialsnep @keeya

@FlitsFlash @sequentialsnep Don't think small!

https://static.wikitide.net/spiritofthenorthwiki/0/0b/Fox_Island.jpeg

Fedi's bowlingball 3d ago

@keeya she's so adorable!!!
And imagine having a pet leggy, that must be awesome!

@Korawolfsrain I think they make awful pets though. :D They managed to dig an over 1m deep hole once which they needed to fill again. They will do that in your garden too. And furniture!

Though a fennec or miniature grey fox (aka Island fox) would be so cute. They are probably more manageable due to simply not being strong enough to destroy everything.

I like though they almost all canines look the same when born. Can't really tell if this is a fox or leggy. :3

Fedi's bowlingball 3d ago

@keeya i followed a youtuber with a pet fox for a while. They also absolutly wreck your house.
And wonderfully seeable with Finnigan and Dixie from Safe a Fox, they pee everywhere!
As much as i adore foxes, i'd never keep one as a pet :D
But the idea!!!

She blends in pretty well indeed, but the long black socks already identify her as a little leggy :P
And i could imagine it, but i think her hindlegs as well

@Korawolfsrain With a house and a large garden I'd take a chance!

But I guess you'd need to be pretty "hardcore" oblivious to your property. "Oh well, there goes the antique desk and the silk bed sheets from grand-grandpa."

I think the smaller species are at least a bit more tameable. But then… probably just leave them their freedom. Could have a garden where they return because they want to vs are confined to. :3