Himalayan Wolf

About 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.

Q1) What is IUCN?

The International Union for Conservation of Nature is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. It was founded in 1948.

Source: The first-ever IUCN assessment of the Himalayan Wolf is out. And it is grim