Ethiopia is a highland country, having eighty percent of Africa’s land above 3000m. The highlands of Ethiopia are divided by the Rift Valley and separated by large areas of lowland, creating a discontinuous tract of mountainous peaks. the fragmented nature of Ethiopia’s landscape, coupled with a large altitudinal and latitudinal range, makes Ethiopia a diverse country and home to several unique habitats including the largest afro-alpine vegetation in Africa.

These afro-alpine habitats are home to several endemic species in animal or plant that is confined to a limited area and Ethiopian wolf is one of the flagships of this unique habitat, Ethiopian wolf is one of survive in only a few isolated afro-alpine habitats in Ethiopia. It is estimated that there are less than 500 adults of wolf left in Ethiopia, making the Ethiopian wolf one of the rarest in the world’s 36 canid species Canidae including dogs, wolves, jackals, and foxes. Various factors seriously threaten the survival of the species.

The Ethiopian wolf is one of the five species of genus Canis that occur in Africa. It is easily distinguished from the common, Black-backed, and side-stripped jackals by its larger size relatively long legs and distinctive red coat with white marking.

The Ethiopian wolf was assigned the scientific name canis simensis by Prince Ruppell in 1838. The species has several English names including Abyssinian Wolf, Simien fox, and Ethiopian jackal. Based on its genetic similarity to the North American and Grey wolf the preferred English name for this species is the Ethiopian wolf.