Ethiopian Wolf

Ethiopian Wolf – Specialist Knowledge

A right-facing illustration of an  Ethiopian Wolf against a background of dawn colours and blue circles by Pia Ravenari

Keywords: Specialist knowledge. Hyperfixations and special interests. Be careful of focusing too hard on one thing, you lose sight of your health. Friend groups and chosen family. The importance of social meet-ups and gatherings. When was the last time you went out or talked to your friends? Let others benefit from what you know. It’s okay to be fussy.

Description: The Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) is a large slender canine with a long skull native to Ethiopia, with distinctive red and white fur. The Ethiopian wolf is a very specialised hunter of rodents – primarily the big-headed mole rat – and can only live in certain habitats like Afroalpine grasslands or heathlands, the size of this habitat will correspond with the abundance of rodents. They are social and live in family groups that can have 6 to 20 adults within communal territories. They have social hierarchies, with ritualistic displays to show pack status. Ethiopian wolves rest at night in the open – they never use dens unless nursing – and gather together for patrols at dawn and in the afternoon and early evening. They primarily hunt during the day. They have been known to use cattle or Gelada monkeys while hunting rodents, using these animals in order to hide.

They are one of the worlds rarest canines, and Africa’s most endangered carnivore, threatened by expanding populations, habitat destruction, disease, and hybridisation with domestic dogs. It poses no threat to livestock, and is so specialised as a hunter that it will leave juvenile Gelada monkeys alone, even though they can be a similar size to the rats it prefers to feed on.