Woolly Wolf Spotted in Nepal Is Likely a New Species
Pausing at a clearing, a sudden streak of black against the carpet of white snow moved in the corner of Madhu Chetri's eye.
It was 2004, and Chetri, now a Ph.D. student at Norway's Hedmark University College, was trekking through the roof of the world: Nepal's Annapurna Conservation Area.
Looking up, he caught the gaze of a wolf, who regarded him with curiosity.
“I was struck by these golden yellow eyes. They were so bright. I was so excited,” says Chetri, who was exploring the Upper Mustang region as part of his conservation work. (See "12 of Our Favorite Wolf Photos.")
The area had plenty of feral dogs, but Chetri knew right away that this big, woolly creature was no dog.
It was the Himalayan wolf, which had never before been seen in Nepal.
Opinions:
Scientific research and the discovery of a new species as a result is always an exciting prospect, the biodiversity within the region is amazing. And it's always nice to learn about the genetic differences which not only characterise this set of animals, but future ones too.
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