Born Free Foundation - Keep Wildlife in the Wild

Common name

Ethiopian wolf, Abyssinian wolf, Simien fox, Simien jackal, ky kebero (Amharic), jedala farda (Oromic)

Scentific name

Canis simensis Rüppell, 1835

Order

Carnivora (Carnivores)

Family

Canidae (Canids)

Conservation status

IUCN Red List: Endangered - Officially protected in Ethiopia

Occurrence in protected areas

Simien Mountains National Park, Bale Mountains National Park

Global population

~500 adults and subadults, in seven isolated populations

Morphology

Long legs and long muzzle;distintive bright tawny rufous coat with black and white marks; mean mass ~16 kg

Habitat requirements

Very localized endemic species confined to some isolated pockets of Afroalpine grasslands and heathlands above 3,000m in Ethiopia

Diet and foraging behaviour

Solitary, diurnal foragers of small mammals of the high altitude Afroalpine grassland community

Social organization

Discrete and cohesive social packs with strong hierarchies; communal breeding and territorial defence