Kenya camping:The Ethiopian wolf

The Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), also known as the Abyssinian wolf, Abyssinian fox or red jackal, is a canid native to Africa. Found at altitudes above 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) in the Afro-alpine regions of Ethiopia. It is the most endangered canid, with only about 550 adults remaining. The Ethiopian wolf is a medium sized canid resembling the coyote in size and conformation, having long legs and a narrow pointed muzzle. It weighs 11 to 19.5 kg (24 to 43 lb), with males being 20% larger than females. The skull has a flat profile with a thick, narrow and low neuro-cranium which is almost cylindrical in shape. Their coat is ochre to rusty red on the face, ears and upper portions of the body and white to pale ginger on the underparts. Small white spots are present on the cheeks, as well as a white ascending crescent below the eyes. The contrast of red and white markings increases with age and social rank. Females tend to have paler coats. Although the Ethiopian wolf is primarily a solitary hunter of rodents, it lives in packs that share and defend an exclusive territory. Packs may average 6 adults, 1–6 yearlings, and 1–13 pups. Social gatherings among different packs are more common during the breeding season, and take place in close proximity to the den.Inter-pack confrontations occur at the territorial border. Females breed no more than once annually and give birth to litters usually consisting of 2–6 pups which are born after a two month gestation period. Females give birth in a den dug on open ground, under a boulder or within a rocky crevice. Adults will regularly shift pups between dens, up to 1300 m (4300 ft) apart. rodents account for 96% of all prey, with the endemic Big-headed Mole Rat being the main food item other prey species include the Black-clawed Brush-furred Rat, Blick's Grass Ratvlei rats, the Yellow-spotted Brush-furred Rat, young birds, the Ethiopian Highland Hare, the Cape Hyrax, and young of the Common Duiker, Mountain Reedbuck, and Mountain Nyala. Sedge leaves are sometimes eaten to aid digestion. Fewer than 500 remain today owing to the increased pressure from agriculture, high altitude grazing, hybridization with domestic dogs, direct persecution, and diseases such as rabies. the Ethiopian wolf is a national symbol, having been used in two stamp series.

Peter K. Philip

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