Himalayan Wolf

Himalayan Wolf has been assessed for the first time in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Red List and categorised as ‘Vulnerable’.

Himalayan Wolf

• The Himalayan Wolf (Canis lupus chanco), a prominent lupine predator found across the Himalayas.
• It is also called Tibetan wolves, which live at more than 4,000 metres altitudes and are genetically distinct from grey wolves.
• Living at such high altitudes, these wolves have genetically adapted themselves to live in low oxygen (hypoxic) conditions. 
• Distribution:
  • In China, the Himalayan wolf lives on the Tibetan Plateau in the provinces of Gansu, Qinghai, Tibet, and western Sichuan.
  • In northern India, it occurs in the Union Territory of Ladakh and in the Lahaul and Spiti region in northeastern Himachal Pradesh.
• Conservation status
  • IUCN: Vulnerable
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
• Threats: It is illegally hunted for trade in its fur and body parts including paws, tongues, heads, and other parts. 

Measures to be taken to enhance the protection of Himalayan wolves

• • Securing and restoring healthy wild prey populations and landscapes and setting aside wildlife habitat refuges;
  • Improving livestock guarding methods, such as predator-proof corral pens and using sustainable livestock herding practices, including reduced livestock loads, adapted herding, and developing novel but tradition-based holistic management practices
  • Management of feral dog populations
  • Trans-boundary efforts in conservation of the species in range countries through research and monitoring.