Wolves and Jackals belong to the family of Canidae (dogs). IUCN - The World Conservation's SSC (Species Survival Commission) Wolf Specialist Group and Canid Specialist Group recognize 34 species of wild canids. Wolves The grey or timber wolf (Canis lupus) is the largest wild canid, with adult males weighing on average, 30-40 kilograms. Once the world's most widely distributed mammal, spread throughout the northern hemisphere, the grey wolf's largest populations are now found in Canada, Alaska, and Russia. Packs generally include a breeding pair, offspring of the current year as well as a few animals from previous years. The number of wolves in a pack rarely exceeds 12 but exceptionally up to 30 have been recorded. Their diet consists mainly of large ungulates (grass-eating mammals) such as moose, caribou, and deer, but they also eat smaller animals and livestock. The grey wolf is hunted for its fur in Canada, Alaska, and Russia. According to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), 6,000 to 7,000 wolf skins have been traded annually since 1981. The wolf skin trade can remain sustainable, that is, wolves can be hunted without seriously depleting the world wolf numbers provided they are hunted only in countries with healthy wolf populations. The grey wolf is threatened by loss and fragmentation of its habitat, which reduce populations. Other threats are: the public's perception of the wolf as a dangerous animal that needs to be exterminated and the killing of wolves when blamed for livestock losses. The grey wolf is listed as Vulnerable* (see overlay) by IUCN. Wolves appear to hunt livestock because there is less wild prey available, and seem to kill most domestic animals when calves and lambs are abundant. While the grey wolf is protected in various parks throughout Canada and the United States, protection and enforcement varies in other countries. The red wolf (Canis rufus) is the world's rarest and most endangered canid. It is listed as Endangered by IUCN. Once ranging the southeastern United States, the red wolf is now found only in North Carolina and in the Smokey Mountains. Both populations are slowly increasing and today there are about 200 red wolves in captivity. For the animal to survive, more reintroduction sites need to be found, accompanied by intensive education programmes to change the public's perception of the red wolf. The coyote or prairie wolf (Canis latrans) is found throughout the United States, southern Canada, and northern Central America. The population is large and increasing even though people hunt it for fur, sport, and to reduce loss of livestock and poultry. The bright red Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) lives in packs of up to 13 animals in a few mountains in the Ethiopian highlands. With less than 700 individuals, the Ethiopian wolf is the second most endangered canid and is listed as Endangered by IUCN. Eating exclusively Afro-alpine rodents, the Ethiopian wolf is a key predator in the food chain and might regulate rodent populations. Major threats are: habitat loss, disease (rabies, distemper or parvo could threaten the remaining small populations), hunting by humans who regard them as pests, inbreeding, and possible cross-breeding with domestic dogs (especially in the Bale Mountains region). In the northern part of their range, Ethiopian wolves may be on the verge of extinction so the last viable - but fragile - Ethiopian wolf population of 200-300 in Bale Mountains National Park needs to be monitored closely. Conservation efforts should therefore be directed towards global captive breeding programmes and establishing conservation areas, such as the Bale Mountains National Park and Simien Mountains National Park. Jackals The golden jackal (Canis aureus) roams the open countryside unthreatened in North and East Africa, southeast Europe, and in south Asia. Though exact figures are difficult to assess, there are known to be about 1,600 in the Serengeti alone. Bigger than the red fox, the golden jackal has a golden brown coat and a nearly white belly. Golden jackals live in mated pairs but usually form groups which may be as large as 20. The golden jackal is omnivorous and eats small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and carrion. It often scavenges the kills of larger carnivores, such as lions. The black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) and side-striped jackal (Canis adustus) are found only on the African continent The side-striped jackal, wearing a grayish yellow coat with white side slashes, lives in wooded areas while the black-backed jackal's habitat varies. Side-striped jackal numbers are small, but the animal faces no direct threats, although some have been poisoned in Uganda during rabies outbreaks. The black-backed jackal is killed for its reddish brown and black fur and because of its (only partly justified) reputation as a lamb-killer, especially in South Africa. Tanzania and southern Africa run several research programmes but neither species require immediate protection. WWF and IUCN are both carrying out research into canids and the threats they face. Both organizations believe that if wolves and jackals are to survive in the wild, most populations require legally enforced protection measures. It is also necessary to protect and conserve their natural habitat, and to devise ways in which people and canids can live in close proximity. And finally, it is essential to increase the public's awareness of these animals, where they live, and the problems confronting them. *IUCN Classifications of Degrees of Threat By classifying species into categories of threat, conservation recommendations can be made based on the status of the species, its abundance, and distribution. Both IUCN and WWF are preparing action priorities to guide wolf and jackal conservation.
Extinct: Species has not been located in the wild during the past 50 years. Further reading
August 1993 WWF continues to be known as World Wildlife Fund in Canada and the United States |
Copyright 1996, The World Wide Fund For Nature