An in-depth guide to Santuario do Caraca (AKA the maned wolf monastery)

Good day everyone!

As Santuario do Caraca has been getting quite a bit of popularity on here and I happen to have written this guide to it, I thought I’d share here. I’ve included info on what happens during the feeding, together with insider tips, other animals that can be seen onsite and quick guides to Ouro Preto and Belo Horizonte, two towns you’ll likely pass through on your way here.

https://shoestringsafari.com/brazilian-maned-wolf-monastery/

A couple of points that are especially relevant to mammalwatching:

• Atlantic titi monkeys hang out around the Tanque Grande Trail, though practically speaking you may have to wait a while before seeing one. Although I could hear them up close for about an hour, I had to make do with a brief sighting since the forest cover was so thick (which also meant going off-path was off the table).
• Some trip reports have said fellow wolf-watchers were a noisy bunch, which meant I got pretty concerned when I saw how busy it was! To my surprise, most people were nice and disciplined, so it may be that I got a good crowd. Also, when the staff were delivering their presentation at the start, they were instructing everyone on what not to do, so it appears that the monastery itself is playing a more active role in making sure the wolf won’t be scared off.
• On my first night the wolf didn’t show up, and this was apparently the second night in a row that this had happened. As a result, a few visitors left the monastery without having seen it at all. Don’t be too upset if this happens, it will literally just be a case of bad luck. Nothing more.