FaunaHub
ENEndangeredPartial review

Ethiopian Wolf

Canis simensis

Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), a slender russet wild dog of the highlands.

Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), Ethiopian highlands.

Image: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

At a glance

IUCN category
EN · Endangered
Animal group
Mammals
Population trend
Decreasing
FaunaHub record reviewed
Checked against IUCN
Matches source — IUCN's 2011 global assessment of Canis simensis says EndangeredChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment

Conservation overview

The Ethiopian wolf is Africa's most threatened carnivore and rarest canid, found only in the high mountains of Ethiopia. It is assessed as Endangered.

It is a specialist hunter of Afroalpine rodents and lives in packs.

Range & habitat

Restricted to a few isolated Afroalpine mountain areas in the Ethiopian Highlands.

Major threats

Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.

  • A very small, fragmented range
  • Disease caught from domestic dogs (rabies, distemper)
  • Habitat loss to farming

Why it matters

As Africa's rarest canid and a specialist of fragile mountain ecosystems, the Ethiopian wolf is a flagship for protecting the threatened Afroalpine 'roof of Africa'.

Africa's most threatened carnivore and rarest canid.

Gallery

An Ethiopian wolf standing on a grassy slope.

Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis).

Image: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources

Sources for Ethiopian Wolf

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Ethiopian wolf eat?
It specialises in hunting Afroalpine rodents, such as giant mole-rats and grass rats, which are abundant in its high mountain habitat.
Why is the Ethiopian wolf Endangered?
Published assessments cite its tiny, fragmented range, deadly diseases such as rabies caught from domestic dogs, and habitat loss to high-altitude farming. See the IUCN Red List.