The Egyptian wolf is also called the Egyptian jackal, but is not a jackal at all,
nor did this species originate in Egypt. Instead, it is a member of the wolf family
(Canis aureus lupus ). Egyptian wolves are canines found in the northern areas
of Egypt, the Ethiopian highlands, and the northeastern areas of Libya. The
Egyptian wolf is similar to a jackal, but they are larger and taller than jackals.
They are thin, with a beige, gray or dirty yellow coat.
The ancient Egyptian god Anubis had the head of a jackal, inspired by the
Egyptian wolf. The Egyptian wolf is also older than most of the wolves in the
northern hemisphere of the world. These species are distinguished from other
wolves due to their appearance, and their location in the world.
The Egyptian wolf is found throughout north and east Africa, the Middle East,
southeastern Europe, central, southern and western Asia, and Egypt.
This wolf species is omnivorous, meaning they have a diet consisting of
plants and animals. The Egyptian wolves are very sociable and usually stay in
pairs or packs. They leave their scent for territorial marking, and howl to signal
their location to their pack. The strongest male wolf becomes the leader of the pack.
The Egyptian wolf is an endangered animal. In Egypt, they are not
conserved, as they are seen as a threat to livestock. Hunting has decreased
their numbers in Saudi Arabia. The Egyptian wolf is critically endangered and
may be close to extinction. If they go extinct, prey populations may become
unbalanced, and disease may spread. The wolves eat excess and sick prey
as they hunt. Although humans and wolves could coexist, the whese wolves
would likely kill livestock and eat crops which are essential for humans.
The total number of Egyptian wolves alive today is still being researched.
Unfortunately, no major steps are being taken in these regions to prevent
their extinction.