The Himalayan wolf as its own species is highly debated, as they are quite similar to the Mongolian wolf and African wolf. However, mitochondrial DNA has determined that they are genetically basal to the grey wolf. Some scientists have proposed the reclassification of this lineage as a separate species. They face the threats of unsustainable hunting and poaching, for their fur, meat, and other body parts to be used in traditional medicine; persecution, due to their habit of preying on livestock; lack of protection from being hunted; habitat loss and destruction at the hands of mining, quarrying, and human settlements; and the reduction in natural prey, which drives these wolves to the dangerous task of hunting livestock. The IUCN lists these beautiful wolves as Vulnerable. Their population trend is listed as decreasing.
First the Stats…
Scientific name: Canis lupus chanco
Weight: Up to 121 lbs.
Length: Up to 70 inches, including the tail
Height: Up to 30 inches, at the shoulders
Lifespan: Up to 15 years
Now on to the Facts!
1.) Their heart can withstand the low oxygen levels at high elevations. They have a strong selection for RYR2, a gene that initiates cardiac excitation. Cardiac excitation is the essential physiological process converting an electrical action potential into mechanical heart contraction.
2.) In 2021, a study matched both the mitochondrial DNA and the nuclear DNA (of the cell nucleus) from these wolves with those from the lowlands of India. The genomic analyses indicated that the Himalayan wolf and the Indian lowland wolf were genetically different from one another.
3.) The howls of these wolves have lower, unmodulated frequencies, and are shorter in length compared to grey wolf howls.
4.) They prey on a wide variety of animals such as Bactrian deer, Yarkand deer, Tibetan red deer, Siberian roe deer, Siberian ibex, Tibetan wild asses, Przewalski’s horses, wild yaks, markhors, argalis, urials, Himalayan marmots, large-eared pikas, woolly hares, Tibetan gazelle, and white-lipped deer.
5.) These wolves prefer to avoid livestock hunting as it is dangerous, however the constant growth of human settlements and subsequent loss of wild prey has driven them to make the choice between starvation and hunting livestock.
But wait, there’s more on the Himalayan wolf!
6.) In India, these wolves are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which prohibits hunting.
7.) Lack of information about their basic ecology in this landscape is a big obstacle for developing a conservation plan.
Did you know…?
Historical sources have stated that these wolves have occasionally killed children in Ladakh and Lahaul.
8.) Females undergo up to a 63 day gestation (pregnancy) that yields up to 6 pups.
9.) Pups are birthed in dens (this is called denning), often in rocky crevices, ravines, or simply holes dug in the ground.
10.) In 2007, 18 Himalayan wolves were housed for breeding in 2 Indian zoos. They were captured from the wild and were kept at the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in West Bengal, as well as in the Kufri Zoo in Himachal Pradesh.
11.) From the programs in the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, as well as the Kufri Zoo in Himachal Pradesh, 32+ pups were raised and redistributed to other zoos to continue the breeding process. Once enough are bred, they will likely be reintroduced to their natural habitat.
Now a Short Himalayan Wolf Video!
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Some source material acquired from: Wikipedia & IUCN
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