Himalayan Wolves Project

In this video, our fieldwork collaborator Pema provides devices and explains how Foxlights work — predator-deterring devices designed to keep livestock safe from Himalayan wolves and snow leopards. 🐺🐆

If you’d like to support our work, you’ll find the link in bio. Every contribution helps. 🙏

🐺💫 Ever wondered what coexistence really looks like?
Here, three curious Himalayan wolf pups share a mountain valley with domestic yak–cow hybrids left to graze freely.

In this rare footage, the pups and the yaks meet with mutual respect — curious, calm, and at ease. No tension, no fear.

🎥 This is how a real documentary is made.
Every second of footage shared here carries a story of effort, resilience, and dedication.
Here our incredible filmmaker Kat (@akt_final_final_1.mov ) captures it all — the beauty, the struggle, and the purpose.
#DocumentaryLife #BehindTheScenes

❄️🐇 Meet the Woolly Hare (Lepus oiostolus) — the mountain survivor.

Living at altitudes up to 5,000 meters, the woolly hare (Lepus oiostolus) is one of the highest-dwelling mammals on Earth.In the high Himalayas, every life form is a thread in the same web — even the smallest hare plays a vital role

Nature never wastes. When a predator like the Himalayan wolf — or nature itself — ends a life, it becomes the source of life for many others.

In the high, harsh landscapes where life is never easy, nothing is lost — everything is transformed.Himalayan vultures feeding on a kiang carcass, (Nepal)

Wolf pups play a lot. They sleep, eat, cuddle and play all day. Playing tones their muscles and sharpens their instincts which will be helpful for hunting later in their lives. And playing allows them to build their social skills and it is fun!

#himalayanwolf #tibetanwolf #himalayanwolvesproject

Kiangs are truly fascinating animals 🐴 ✨
As we’ve mentioned before, Kiang play a key role in the ecosystem as important large grazers and they also present as an important resource for predators, such as the Himalayan wolf 🐺, as well as the rich scavenger community. 

#Kiang #WildlifeNepal

Check out this black-necked crane 🪶 ( Grus nigricollis ) pair + their young 🐥.
Black-necked cranes are characteristic of the Tibetan Plateau 🏔️.
For 12 years, we have seen a pair in this valley — but never successfully reproducing.
So we were thrilled 🤩 to see them for the first time with chicks

Horses 🐎 are a symbol of pride and status in the local Buddhist culture 🪷.
They are often left to graze freely in herds 🐴 in valleys rich in good forage 🌿.
Note that this particular white horse is wearing a necklace 📿 — a token meant to protect it from wolf 🐺 attacks.

#BuddhistCulture #Humla

3️⃣ No drop in reporting attacks
Data shows U.S. agencies are not called less frequently after wolf removals.

👉 Conservation science is clear: indiscriminate killing is not the solution. Coexistence strategies work better for both wolves and people.

2️⃣ Disrupted pack dynamics
Killing the “wrong” wolves (like breeders) destabilizes packs, often leading to more attacks on livestock.

1️⃣ Lower wolf numbers ≠ fewer conflicts
Reducing wolf populations only slightly lowers the chance of encounters — and assumes all wolves behave the same (they don’t).

Does killing wolves reduce livestock predation? 🐺🐑

A recent study in Science Advances shows that removing wolves has little to no effect on livestock losses. (Explanation on the first comment)

#Wolves #Coexistence #Conservation #ScienceAdvances #HumanWildlifeConflict

Check out these three magnificent wild yak 🐃 (Bos mutus) males that have been assembling with a herd of domestic yaks grazing freely in the pasturelands for the summer 🌿.

Our team is observing a steady increase in wild yaks in the upper Humla landscape 🏔️.

#WildYak #BosMutus #Humla #Himalayas

In Tibetan Buddhist culture 📿 you find these praying wheels across the landscape in various forms.
Here, the praying wheel is being continuously spun by the river in Halji, ensuring the prayers keep flowing.
It is so pleasing to the soul to encounter such revered structures of deep contemplation 🏔️

Without our precious equine team members, our mules, our field work would simply be impossible.
Elegant, strong, and noble — they are essential partners in our daily life during expeditions in Upper Humla 🐴🏔️.

#UpperHumla #ExpeditionLife #MulesOfTheHimalayas #TeamworkInNature

Where science and technology meet culture ✨🏔️

Check out this funny picture of a foxlight 💡 (device to deter predators from livestock by mimicking a human patrolling with a flashlight at night) this one was placed right at the top of the Halji monastery 🏯🏔🙏 .

#WildlifeConservation #Humla

Meet the wolf pups of the wolf family 🐺💛

Our field team found them after days and days of searching — using spotting scopes, binoculars, and also listening for any wolf howling.
It was clear how much the adult wolves enjoy having pups around. 🐾 What a special treat for our team!

Check out our new Study about Challenges in Asia’s Wolf Conservation and exploring Mitigation Strategies to work towards more holistic Conservation Outcomes.
#WolfConservation #Conservation #Asia #CarnivoreGuild #HimalayanWolvesProject.

📸🌧️ Good News from the Field

The rains have finally allowed us to reinstall our camera traps in the Annapurna Conservation Area after a few months without data.
Now, the cameras will stay in place for the next few months, while we prepare our upcoming expedition to Annapurna Conservation Area-Nepal

🐺 Himalayan wolves are social — but what does that mean?

They live in packs, hunt together, and defend their territory as one.

Being social isn’t just about bonding — it’s an evolutionary strategy that helps them survive in the extreme Himalayas.

#HimalayanWolves #WildlifeFacts #WolfPack

This is a domestic yak, grazing on the alpine plains of Upper Humla, Nepal These traditional grazing systems are part of the landscape, shaping it alongside snow leopards, wolves, and wild herbivores like blue sheep.
#Yak #Himalayas #TraditionalLivelihoods #TibetanPlateau #BiodiversityConservation

Himalayan wolf: social, intelligent and adaptable. Wolves live in a changing environment.
Scientific publications show positive association between sociality and innovation in problem-solving. Himalayan wolf has been taking advantage of this relationship to survive and thrive in dynamic landscape

The image shows a a pair of wolves chasing a kiang

The image shows a wolf holding a dead marmot in the mouth

The Himalayan wolf: a versatile hunter in the harsh mountains of the Himalayas, every meal matters.
Wolves don’t eat every day — survival here demands both skill and flexibility.
The Himalayan wolf is not only an effective predator but also an opportunistic scavenger.
Adaptability

Naresh Kusi gives a talk on 'Where high-altitude wolves roam: Identifying priority landscapes for the conservation of Himalayan Wolves in the Nepal Himalayas" at ICCB-2025.

#HimalayanWolvesProject #ICCB2025 #HimalayanWolf #ConservationScience #HighAltitudeEcology #WildlifeConservation

New research investigates the Himalayan wolf, one of Eurasia’s oldest wolf lineages.

Genomic data and skull shape analysis shows subtle traits, eg. shorter muzzle and wider cheekbones, that set this elusive wolf apart.

👉 tinyurl.com/m3u9eprd

@himalayanwolvespro.bsky.social @biology.ox.ac.uk

🧬 Did you know we can trace the evolution of species through their DNA?

By analyzing fecal samples collected in the field, we can piece together the evolutionary history of wolves across Asia. These samples are processed in labs, where every fragment of DNA helps complete the puzzle of their past.

🦊 The Red Fox in the Himalaya: A Master of Survival 🏔️
Roaming from the high-altitude plains of Upper Humla to the rugged range in Annapurna Conservation Area.
#HimalayanWildlife #RedFox #Scavenger #Predator #himalayanwolves #Himalayas #Conservation

🐾 Himalayan Marmots: A Key Player in the Food Chain 🐾

As the snow melts, Himalayan marmots emerge, bringing life back to the high-altitude ecosystems. Their role in the food chain is crucial—supporting not just wolves, but the entire mountain ecosystem. In nature everything is connected! 🌿🐺

🐭🏔️ Himalayan Pikas (Royle's pika, "Ochotona roylei" in the picture): A Vital Link in the Food Chain. Small but essential, Himalayan pikas play a crucial role in high-altitude ecosystems. As prey for mesocarnivores like foxes🦊 and small wild cats, they help sustain predator populations #FoodChain