Himalayan wolf

		Himalayan wolf
		He is a wild animal


Origin			India
Translation			Francis Vandersteen

The possession of this animal is not authorized Royal Decree establishing the list of mammals not kept for production purposes that may be kept (M.B. 24.08.2009)

The Himalayan wolf is a proposed group within the Tibetan wolf (Canis lupus filchneri) distinguished by its mitochondrial DNA, which is basal to all other wolves, including other Tibetan wolves. The taxonomic status of this wolf clade is disputed, the separate species Canis himalayensis being proposed on the basis of two limited DNA studies. However, the 50% probability provided by the model on which the study is based only weakly supports this proposal. A subsequent study using more specimens and a number of genetic sequences showed a probability of 92-99% and a relationship with the African golden wolf.

The morphological appearance of wolves from different parts of India shows certain dissimilarities. The skulls of the two males from Chumar, Ladakh were measured by Allen (234 and 236 mm), which are the largest for wolves in India, but smaller compared to North American wolves, which can measure up to 290 mm. Canis lupus pallipes has the shortest skull length, measuring up to 220 mm. The zygomatic widths of the skulls of Ladakh wolves (129 and 128 mm) were also relatively greater than those of Indian peninsular wolves (90.2-109 mm). The upper cheek teeth, i.e. canine to last molar, of two Ladakh wolves measured 105 and 98.4 mm, larger than those of peninsular and Arabian wolves (93.6-97 mm and 81.3-93 mm respectively). Peninsular Indian wolves appear smaller in size and more brownish in color, while Himalayan wolves are large and whitish. Peninsular wolves weigh an average of 25 kg, which may be the smallest of all wolves, while Himalayan wolves weigh around 35 kg, as do Tibetan wolves. Wolves from Upper Mustang, Nepal, are characterized by distinct white coloration around the throat, chest, belly and inner legs, body fur, stocky legs and an unusually elongated muzzle. A comparative study of Himalayan wolves with other howls of gray wolf subspecies showed that Himalayan wolf howls typically had lower frequencies than European wolves. and were shorter in duration. The study revealed that Himalayan and North African wolves exhibited the most acoustically distinct howls and differed significantly between themselves and with other wolf subspecies.

The proposed Himalayan wolf is found in northern India in the Ladakh region of eastern Kashmir and in the Lahaul and Spiti region of northeastern Himachal Pradesh. They are also found in the Upper Dolpa and Upper Mustang regions of Nepal. A population of them can also be found in Tibet. The Indian population comprises 350 wolves covering an area of 70,000 km2. In 2004, a group of 33 Himalayan wolves were spotted in the Spiti valley, in the north-eastern part of Himachal Pradesh. In the same year, the wolf was spotted for the first time in Nepal's Upper Mustang region.

The Himalayan wolf is listed as an endangered species in parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Much of the wolf population in these areas exists outside the protected area network, which is alarming for conservation initiatives and suggests that conservation management in these areas should also consider the area outside protected areas. Their rare populations and evolutionary character have been highlighted in some recent studies. The lack of information on their basic ecology in this landscape is a serious obstacle to establishing a sound conservation plan for these animals.

It has been suggested by several biologists in India for recognition as a critically endangered canid species. Although the Indian government added the Himalayan wolf to its list of endangered species in 1998, it still has no legal protection in Tibet.