OR-93, originally from Oregon’s White River Pack, made it all the way to the central Sierra Nevada in search of a mate.
The Center For Biological Diversity reported February 26th that a lone gray wolf has traveled hundreds of miles from its original pack in Oregon. OR-93 is a 2-year-old male wolf who was fitted with a radio collar by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in 2020.
This is the furthest south a wolf has traveled in California since the government wiped out the state’s wolves in the early 1900s on behalf of the livestock industry. Gray wolves returned to Washington and Oregon in the 2000s, the first one arriving in California in 2011. Since then just 16 gray wolves have come to the Golden State, and none so far south as OR-93.
As Interior secretary, Rep. Haaland could undo Trump’s attacks on wildlife by restoring power to the Endangered Species Act and protections to migratory birds. https://t.co/wHA8MB8xo4
— Center for Bio Div (@CenterForBioDiv) March 1, 2021
“We’re thrilled to learn this wolf is exploring deep into the Sierra Nevada, since scientists have said all along this is great wolf habitat,” said Amaroq Weiss, senior West Coast wolf advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity.
Gray wolves were listed as an endangered species until the Trump administration ended their federal protections, but they are still protected under state law.
“He’s another beacon of hope, showing that wolves can return here and flourish as long as they remain legally protected,” said Weiss. “Given the time of year, we assume OR-93 has traveled such a long way in search of a mate. I hope he can find one.”
[Featured Image: Photo Modified: flickr / USFWS Endangered Species / CC by 2.0]