Wildlife
Ethiopian wolves number fewer than 500 in the wild, and have the unfortunate title of the most threatened canid in the world. They are the only wolf species to exist in Africa, reduced to a handful of mountain ranges by pressures on their habitat. Ethiopian wolves live in close-knit territorial packs. Strong social bonds exist between members of the group. Adults gather to patrol and mark the territory at dawn and dusk repelling intruders, but individual pack members tend to forage alone.
Scientific name: Canis simensis
Rank: Species
In order to see this content you need to have an up-to-date version of Flash installed and Javascript turned on.
Rat catchers
Ethiopian wolves are adapted to hunt very specific prey.
Ethiopian wolves are adapted to hunt very specific prey.
Saving wolves
Graham Norton visits the roof of Africa to report on Ethiopian wolves.
Ethiopian wolves are the world’s most endangered canine with fewer than 500 adults surviving in just a handful of small, isolated pockets in the mountains of Ethiopia. Their specialisation for the alpine altitude makes their survival all the more precarious. With the continued loss of habitat resulting from the spread of farming and from overgrazing, the wolves are running out of places to live and their small population makes them vulnerable to diseases such as rabies. Conservation efforts to sterilise and vaccinate the local domestic dogs together with community education projects and eco-tourism might be beginning to help the Ethiopian wolf's cause.
On the edge
The last bastion of the Ethiopian wolf is shrinking fast.
Pups mob the adults as they return to the den, until food is regurgitated for the pups to eat. The scene may look idyillic, but the Ethiopian wolf's fragile habitat is shrinking as Africa's climate continues to warm up and the highlands are eroded. The remaining 1,000 wolves are truely marrooned on the roof of Africa.
Species range provided by WWF's Wildfinder.
The Ethiopian wolf can be found in a number of locations including: Africa. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the Ethiopian wolf distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Endangered
Population trend: Decreasing
Year assessed: 2008
Classified by: IUCN 3.1
The Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) is a canid native to the Ethiopian Highlands. It is similar to the coyote in size and build, and is distinguished by its long and narrow skull, and its red and white fur. Unlike most large canids, which are widespread, generalist feeders, the Ethiopian wolf is a highly specialised feeder of Afroalpine rodents with very specific habitat requirements. It is the world's rarest canid, and Africa's most endangered carnivore.
The species' current range is limited to seven isolated mountain ranges at altitudes of 3,000–4,500m, with the overall adult population having been estimated at 360-440 specimens, more than half of which occur in the Bale Mountains.
The Ethiopian wolf is listed as Endangered by the IUCN, on account of its small numbers and fragmented range. Threats include increasing pressure from expanding human populations, resulting in habitat degredation through overgrazing and disease transference from free ranging dogs. Its conservation is headed by Oxford University's EWCP (Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Program), which seeks to protect wolves through vaccination and community outreach programs.
This entry is from Wikipedia, the user-contributed encyclopedia. If you find the content in the 'About' section factually incorrect, defamatory or highly offensive you can edit this article at Wikipedia. For more information on our use of Wikipedia please read our FAQ.
Take a trip through the natural world with our themed collections of video clips from the natural history archive.
Going, going, gone
One third of known species are under threat - do they have more than a future on film? We've unearthed footage of some remarkable animals, plants and habitats that are facing an imminent threat to their survival.
African Wildlife
Sir David Attenborough's Africa series took over four years to make and has brought us eye to eye with the continent's incredible wildlife in spectacular ways.
The wildlife of Life
In autumn 2009, a major new series brought us life as we've never seen it before.
BBC © 2013 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.
Helpless young
Ambush predator
Carnivorous
Co-operative breeding
Dry tolerant
Hierarchical
Burrower
Acoustic communication
Maternal care
Social
Adapted to running
Chemical communication
Sexual dimorphism
Territorial
Visual communication
Viviparous
Monogamous
Nocturnal