The study was carried out by researchers at the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme (EWCP), a partnership between the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) at the University of Oxford, the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA), and Dinkenesh Ethiopia. They observed that some individual wolves would visit as many as 30 blooms in a single trip, with multiple wolves from different packs exploiting this resource. An Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) licks nectar from the Ethiopian red hot poker flower (Kniphofia foliosa). I am chuffed that we have now reported this behaviour as being commonplace among Ethiopian wolves and explored its ecological significance.”The Ethiopian wolf is the rarest wild canid species in the world, and Africa’s most threatened carnivore. Nectar foraging by Ethiopian wolves may contribute to the pollination of Kniphofia foliosa’ has been published in Ecology.

Source: Ethiopian News November 22, 2024 15:56 UTC