Today we are going to talk about an animal I am very familiar with in North America, but it will have a little twist. While living in Northern Canada, I have had many opportunities to experience the sheer beauty of the Gray Wolf. Our featured animals, the Tibetan Wolf, is actually a sub-species of the North American variety, but as you can imagine they have many of the same qualities but both wolf species have the perfect balance of power and grace. The Tibetan Wolf is native throughout Asia and can be found in Tibet (obviously), northern China, Turkestan and they are also scattered throughout parts of the Indian sub-continent.
The Lack of a Pack
When you think of wolves, your imagination conjures up images of large packs hunting down formidable prey species, such as deer or moose. At least this is what my imagination does before I get side-tracked by a pretty butterfly or a ladybug. The Tibetan Wolf sub-species, doesn’t quite fit into this stereotypical mould has they typically hunt on their own or in a pair (occasionally they will hunt in a pack of three). As you would expect with this hunting behaviour, their prey needs to be much smaller, since it is difficult to take down a large animal all by yourself….unless you are an even bigger animal. Instead this wolf sub-species prefers to feed on hares and marmots. Interestingly enough, they will also try their luck on a few larger animals such as Goa and Sheep, which they are able to catch with some success, but I a guessing these hunting quests require a partner or two.
The Best Pest
Earlier this week we mentioned that the Snow Leopard is disliked by ranchers as they tend to feast on their domestic goats and sheep. Well, the Tibetan Wolf is even better at this than their feline nemesis. In fact, a recent study in throughout their distribution range showed the wolf to be the number one predator of livestock. I guess if you are going to do something, you should also be the best at it, so congratulations Mr. Tibetan Wolf. Unfortunately, many wolves meet an untimely fate at the hands of these perturbed ranchers. This type of persecution coupled with the destruction of the wolves habitat has lead to a decrease in their population.
Tibetan Wolf Fast Fact
Many scientists believe that the domestic dog was bred from the beautiful Tibetan Wolf given their similarities in jaw structure and size. I guess this means we will always have some of their genetic code on this planet, although, comparing a Chihuahua to the Tibetan Wolf does seem a little far-fetched, doesn’t it?
