One injured wolf changed everything 🐺

Terefe, the Ethiopian wolf whose rescue rewrote conservation history in Africa’s highlands.

Meet Terefe, the first Ethiopian wolf ever rescued, rehabilitated, and returned to the wild. His survival reshaped science, inspired communities, and gave new hope to Africa’s rarest carnivore.

High in Ethiopia’s Simien Mountains, where thin air, freezing nights, and scarcity define survival, lives the Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), Africa’s rarest and most endangered carnivore. With fewer than 500 adults remaining in fragmented highland habitats, every individual matters. Conservationists often face a harsh ethical reality: severely injured wild animals are usually euthanized to prevent suffering and avoid disrupting fragile ecosystems. Yet in rare cases, intervention can rewrite what is considered possible. The story of Terefe, the first Ethiopian wolf ever captured, treated in captivity, and successfully returned to the wild, stands as a landmark moment in African wildlife conservation and a powerful example of how science, compassion, and community can intersect.