Himalayan wolf

Himalayan wolves (Canis lupus ssp. chanco) are found in remote high regions of the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayan region of Nepal and India.

Genetic analysis conducted by the RZSS WildGenes lab and in collaboration with the Himalayan Wolves Project has helped to describe the Himalayan wolf as a district subspecies from grey wolf found across North America, Europe and Asia. DNA analysis has shown that the Himalayan wolf is a more ancient lineage of wolf that is specifically adapted to living at very high altitude.

The RZSS WildGenes have used scat from wolves living at Highland Wildlife Park to develop appropriate genetic tools for studying this species in the wild - Dr Geraldine Werhahn the Himalayan Wolves Project Team are often only able to collect scat material on their field trips to the wolves mountain habitat. The RZSS WildGenes team have also conducted training in with lab teams in Nepal and China to ensure that monitoring of the wolf can be rolled out across the region.

As a result of this work, the Himalayan wolf has recently been Red Listed separately by the IUCN and is now recognised as Vulnerable, a vital step in ensuring that better conservation protection is put in place for this amazing species.