Common Name: Ethiopian Wolf, Simien or Simenian fox, Simien or Simenian jackal, Abyssinian wolf, red fox, Ethiopian jackal, red jackal

Indigenous Names: ky kebero or kebero (red jackal or jackal in Amharic), walgie (trickster in Amharic), jedalla farda (horse's jackal in Orominiac), and arouayé (reddish in Orominiac).

Scientific Name: Canis simensis

Current Status: endangered, officially protected in Ethiopia.

Population: As of 1995-120-160 individuals, as of 1994- estimated less than 250 mature individuals, *less than 500 individuals

Habitat: The environment in which the Ethiopian wolf lives in is made up of uncultivated land with sandy soil and scrubby vegetation, which makes up the afroalpine grasslands and heathlands. They are also seen occasionally on lava flows and barren peaks in the Bale Mountain National Park.

Range: Ethiopia, Africa-- Bale Mountains National Park, Simien Mountains National Park, west Bale region (Somkaro, Korduro range), Arsi Mountains (Mount Kaka and Mount Chilalo), Guassa range in Menz, Shoa Region.

Historic Range:

Description: Looking much like a coyote, the Ethiopian wolf has long legs and a long muzzle. Ears are pointed and broad, and the tail thick, perhaps black. Its coat is mainly a tawny red, with splashes of white on the neck, throat, and chest, as well as on underparts and insides of limbs. The underfur may range from white to ginger. In juveniles, the coats may be lighter in color, and in females during the breeding season, a yellowish tone. Its teeth, especially the premolars, are small and widely spaced. Males typically weigh about 36 pounds, while the average female weighs about 28 pounds.

Diet: Giant molerats, grass rats, and Stark's hares make up about 87 percent of this wolf's diet. In fact, rodents account for almost 96 percent of all prey found in their feces. Other food sources may include gooslings and eggs, rock hyraxes, mountain nyala calves, and molerats. On rare occasions, young antelopes and lambs are also eaten, killed with the aid of pack work, which is not often done. In addition, undigested Carex monostachya leaves could be found in about 4 percent of the feces. Many believe that they help in digestion as well as parasite control.

Behavior: Though Ethiopian wolves live in well-structured packs, they forage and feed alone unlike gray wolves. They dig out prey hidden underground in burrows, with attempts ranging from mere scratches to the total destruction of a patch of land. Kills are often cached, hidden and stored away for another time.

Reproduction: Most matings in Bale Mountains National Park occur between the months of August and November. Up to 70 percent of females may mate with males from outside their own pack. However, only about 60% of all breeding females are successful each year. The mother wolf will have an average of 2 to 6 pups after a gestation period of about 60-62 days. Pups will later emerge from the den about 3 weeks after birth. From then on, the mother wolf may shift her pups to different dens up to 4,265 feet apart. Juveniles join the rest of the pack in territorial patrols from as early as 6 months old. During their second year, both sexes attain their full adult appearance, becoming sexually mature.

History: The earliest mention of the Ethiopian wolf was around the 13th century, referring to the animal Ethiopicis lupis as one that never attacked man. Local names given by the indigenous people resulted in names such as jedalla farda, meaning horse's jackal. This name referred to the habit of wolves following mares and cows about to give birth, and eating the afterbirth. Ethiopian wolves seemed not to have been involved in the poaching or trading of live animals in Ethiopia. Though a report in Simien indicted that perhaps the wolf's liver was used as a form of medicine. Similarly, no found evidence of them being kept as pets have been discovered.

Threats*: loss of habitat, domestic dogs, rabies, human persecution (i.e., vehicle collisions, shooting), competition and hybridization with dogs, in-breeding

Conservation:

Recovery Plan: