Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 20, December 1990, pp. 1-11. | Page 2

2

extends from Palestine through Syria, Southern Iraq, Southern Iran, Kuwait to
Southern Pakistan and India. In Palestine two discrete populations of this
subspecies have been found, that differ in size and colour and live in different
climatic regions.
Prof. Dr. Heinrich Mendelssohn (1983) wrote in his article "Status of the wolf in
the Middle East" : "The taxonomic situation of the wolves of Syria and Turkey is
not yet well known. Wolves that are larger and darker than typical Canis lupus
pallipes, but are different from Canis lupus lupus or Canis lupus campestris, have
been found in the Golan. Similar wolves have recently been observed in Eastern
Lebanon, close to the Syrian border, and it is possible that the wolves of Turkey
and Northern Syria belong to this form”.
The existence of wolves in Lebanon is surprising. Lebanon, with a dense human
population and an enormous, unrestricted hunting pressure, has very little
wildlife left. The jackal (Canis aureus) was so far supposed to be the largest wild
mammal surviving in Lebanon. In August 1982, however, several wolves were
observed by reliable observers, feeding on garbage dumps in the area of Lake
Karoun, close to the Syrian border. A few days later ten wolves were seen
feeding on a cow carcass in the same area. The wolves of Northern Iran are
similar to Canis lupus campestris (Mendelssohn 1983).
Wolves still occur, as far as is known, in all the countries of the Middle East, but
are generally rare, and their distribution is not continuous. They have been
eliminated from areas with dense human population. Apparently, Occupied
Palestine is the only country in this region where wolves are legally protected.
Some countries, such as Jordan, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, have in
recent years introduced some restrictions on hunting. It seems that in Jordan and
in Oman these regulations are quite well obeyed, but predators are apparently
not included in this protection (Mendelssohn, 1983). Such protection of predators
would not be acceptable to the public as predators are, except in Palestine,
considered generally as pests and killed on sight. Only smaller species, such as
jackals and foxes, are not endangered. All the larger species that still exist, such
as hyenas (Hyaena hyaena), leopards (Panthera pardus) and wolves, must be
considered as endangered (Mendelssohn 1983).
Prof. Dr. Mendelssohn (1983) continues: "In most countries of the Middle East,
wolves feed mostly on livestock carcasses or have to prey on domestic animals,
as wild ungulates have been exterminated or are, besides wild pigs (Sus scrofa),
so rare that they cannot present a food base for wolves. Even in Turkey, where
seven species of ruminants were regionally not rare 30 years ago, they are now so
rare in most areas, or have been completely exterminated, that wolves cannot
rely on them. Wild pigs occur in the northern and more humid areas of this
region and are regionally common, but it is not known if ????????????)?????????%??A?????????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????)M?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)???????Q???A?????????? ?????????? ???????L?9????????L????????????((0