A RARE and endangered wolf was adopted by a family that mistook it for a puppy.
The family took the animal in after finding it on the streets, but realised something was off after it grew up.
The family members first suspected something was wrong when they noticed the animal's legs and ears were strangely long for a dog.
They sought information from environmental agencies, which confirmed that it was a rare wild animal that cannot be domesticated.
It turned out the family's 'pet dog' was actually a maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) - a canine predator found in South America.
The family then took the cub to Zoo Pomerode in Santa Catarina State, which has been welcoming endangered species for over 90 years.
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The gorgeous wolf seems to love it's new home, and it's owners are relieved as well.
In a video shared by the zoo, the playful cub can be seen chewing on and playfully hitting toys with its front legs.
Cassio de Sousa Borges, an environmental analyst, told local media: "In addition to the legal reason, there is an ecological motivation.
"It preserves its instincts for wildlife and may, even unintentionally, cause some type of reaction."
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Experts say that as the cub was orphaned, it will likely require care for the rest of its life.
Biologist Jenifer Kroth said: "Because it didn't live with its mother, it never learned to seek food, shelter, or defend itself.
"Therefore, it would not be able to survive alone, as it would become easy prey or would not find its own food."
The wolf is now sharing an enclosure at the zoo with a female maned wolf, and their habitat has fruit trees, shrubs, a den, and even a lake.
Keepers are making sure it receives a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, and meat, and they will soon teach it to hunt for its own food.
The maned wolf is characterised by long reddish-brown fur, extremely long blackish legs, and a fox-like head.
Although it is listed as "near threatened" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, it is considered "endangered" in Brazil.
Zoo Pomerode is just one Brazilian institution taking part in the Maned Wolf Conservation Programme, which is involved in efforts to conserve the species.
A Chinese family who took home an abandoned puppy in 2016 was shell-shocked when it was revealed their dog was actually a bear.
Su Yun brought home what she thought was a cute puppy for the family two years ago.
But that adorable pup kept on growing and having a huge appetite, for a mere doggy.
Soon enough the puppy had grown into a 250lb black bear.
Su Yun told Chinese media the 'dog' ate "a box of fruits and two buckets of noodles every day."
In 2018, an animal lover took a small animal they thought was a puppy to local police to find it a new home.
But, the person who found the vulnerable animal didn’t realize they had handed over a baby coyote.
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Wildlife officials revealed that the pup was dehydrated but wasn't suffering from any injuries, NBC reported.
It remains unknown how the pup was separated from its mother.
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