Ethiopian Wolf (Canis simensis)

The Ethiopian wolf is the rarest canid (belonging to the family of dogs, wolves, foxes, and jackals) in the world and one of the world's rarest mammals. It is also endemic to Ethiopia (found only in Ethiopia). It lives in open country above 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) and feeds mainly on giant mole rats; other food includes grass rats and hares. It weighs 13-19 kgs. (30-42 lbs.).

View live footage of the Ethiopian Wolf. (3MB)

The Ethiopian wolf was first described by the scientific community in the 1830s by Eduard Ruppell in the Simien Mountains. Today, the Simien Mountains National Park is one of a handful of scattered afro-alpine communities that still hold limited populations of the canids. Bale Mountains National Park reportedly held the largest concentration of wolves (less than 200), but due to recent fires may no longer have a viable breeding population. The threat of extinction to the Ethiopian wolf is the result of several factors. First, the habitat of the wolf, as well as that of other threatened wildlife species, continues to diminish as rural development, grazing and agriculture expand. The increased human pressure has also led to direct persecution and poaching, hybridization between wolves and domestic dogs, and the introduction of infectious diseases such as rabies and canine distemper. Finally, the remaining isolated populations of the wolf and its small habitat areas have created additional threats, such as inbreeding, loss of genetic diversity and the susceptibility to environmental degradation, such as the Bale fires.

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