Endangered
Carnivore Week
These are also called Simien Jackal, Simien Fox, Abyssinian Wolf, and Ethiopian Jackal. They are the rarest canid in the world and the most at risk carnivore in Africa. The IUCN says they only have 197 mature animals, but their last assessment was back in 2011. I am hoping that the estimate I saw elsewhere of there being up to 500 of them is more accurate. The biggest threats for these are the results of human encroachment on their territory in the form of habitat loss, being hit by cars on the ever expanding roads, hunting, habitat fragmentation, over grazing causing the food for the wolves to be diminished, and more. Along with that, as if it wasn't enough, they are also fighting with rabies and canine distemper. In 2019 alone, 55 wolves were found dead and 5 more seen that were in end stages of one of the diseases. There have been efforts to vaccinate the wolves against rabies (which is more common than distemper for them), and that does seem to be helping.
So my oldest was going to get his license and then Covid hit and everything got shut down. The license got put on the back burner, after all, he didn't have anywhere to go! Then, when things started opening up he could not get in. He finally got an appointment but it isn't until November. Now that he has a job it would be nice if he could drive himself to it, but a couple months is not too long. I look forward to telling him to grab groceries on his way home. I worry about him making the 4+ hour drive to and from drum corp on his own though, especially on the way home. He will be driving the a long way very late after a full day of marching and drumming. I need to remind myself that he's young and also very responsible. My hope is that people will carpool with him and they can keep each other awake and alert.