Grassland Rodent Control

A more rare animal that lives in the Ethiopian highlands (see previous post on Geladas) is the Ethiopian Wolf.  It is also known as the Simien fox and Simien jackal, and looks like a coyote with long legs.  Confused?  So were scientists not knowing what family this animal belonged in, but it is now believed that it is indeed part of the canid family, the only wolf species in Africa.  The wolves do live in the northern highlands, but there are also small populations in the Bale Mountains in southern Ethiopia.

Source:  Wikipedia

The geladas don't have much to fear from the wolf though because its main diet is rodents.  Rats to be specific - big-headed mole rats, East African mole rats, black-clawed brush-furred rats, Blick's grass rats, and yellow-spotted brush-furred rats to name a few.  They will eat an occasional hyrax or hare, but over 90 percent of their diet is rats.  While they live in packs like most wolves and defend a specific territory, they hunt alone.  Because of the sparse vegetation, their hunting style is more similar to a cat than a wolf.

Source:  The Wolf's Webs

There are only about 500 of these beauties in the wild and conservation efforts are underway.  For a video and more information, click here.