KATHMANDU: Scientists have confirmed that an endangered species of ancient Himalayan wolf is still extant and roams in the Upper Mustang region of Nepal.

They reached to the conclusion after analysing the DNA extracted from faecal samples, suspected to have originated from the Himalayan wolves (Canis lupus chanco), collected from the Upper Mustang region in the Annapurna Conservation Area.

Madhu Chhetri, who is affiliated with Norway's Hedmark University College and Nepal's National Trust for Nature Conservation, had collected the samples in October 2011.

Recent genetic studies have revealed the existence of three lineages of wolves in the Indian sub-continent and the Himalayan wolf has been reported to be the most ancient lineage historically distributed within the Himalayan region in Nepal, according to a paper recently published in journal ZooKeys.

The paper “Ancient Himalayan wolf (Canis lupus chanco) lineage in Upper Mustang of the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal” said this species of wolf residing in the Trans-Himalayan region was genetically distinct and very different from the European wolf, citing molecular analysis and morphological observations.