The Ethiopian Wolf

Ethiopian Wolves

Over the festive period I was fortunate to recieve a wonderful comission for a study of an Ethiopian Wolf. It was quite poignant really as I have had quite a focus during 2014 on canines and it was lovely to finish the year on such a magnificent animal.

I hadn't known much about these wonderful wolves other than the accounts from friends and business associates who had travelled in Ethiopia and remarked upon what an impression they had left. My first impression was that they resemble an Indian Dhole, A wild pack dog from western India. On further inspection I realised they were quite unique unlike no other canine. The legs are long and slender similar but shorter than that of a maned wolf The neck is also longer than a conventional dog or wolf. The face is very fox like with a long pointed snout which is used for for piercing the undergrowth in search of a mainly rodent diet.

I wanted the commission to represent the wolf in its natural habitat and I was fortunate to be given a wealth of information on how my client had observed them going about their business. The Ethiopian Highlands where the wolf dwells can be a cold harsh place.The wolves could often be seen as solitary beasts in the early morning, walking through the ice melts and grasslands across the vast expanses of shallow waters through the mountainous hills.

I hope I have done this animal justice and would like to think I have captured a very rare animal as it should be seen.It is estimated that fewer than 500 of these wolves live in the wild of Africa tody. I fell they are an overlooked species that deserve more publicity not only for being special but because there are so few. For more information on Ethiopian Wolves please check out these further websites http://www.ethiopianwolf.org/