The rare Ethiopian
wolf, also known as Simian
Jackal or Simian fox, is
struggling for survival.
Increasing human demand
for high altitude grazing and
agriculture, hybrich6ation
with domestic dogs and
infectious diseases like rabies
and canine distemper are
some of the hurdles faced by
these rare animals in their
bid to live. These unique animals are found only in a few
isolated mountain pockets of Ethiopia.
Fewer than 500 of these wolves survive in five or
seven widely dispersed populations and are mainly concentrated in the vast AfroAlpine plateau of the Bale
Mountains National Park.
But even there, their number
has been dwindling over
recent years. All this makes
the Ethiopian wolf the rarest
member of the Canid family
in the world.
The International Union
for Conservation of Nature's
Canid Specialist Group is
making efforts to save this
rare species. It has called for
the control of the domestic
dog population within the
wolf range and the initiation
of a captive breeding programme. The group is
planning to undertake a
detailed survey of the wolves'
habitat.
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