The only wolf to run a marathon from northern Oregon to the Sierra Nevada is a wolf in the south that has traveled to California for more than a century. A gray wolf with a GPS tracking collar from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a Confederate tribe of Confederate tribes near Mount Hood in War, the young man, known as OR-93, returned in June 2020. As, man Sierra Nevada Mono this county embarks on a massive migration journey of about 800 kilometers (500 miles) to find a mate or to explore new territory.
Amaroq Weiss, senior West Coast wolf advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement, “Given the time of year, we assume that the OR-93 has traveled so far in search of a mate.” “I hope he can find one.” Wolves completely wiped out in California in the early 1900s after a nationwide government-sponsored eradication program. However, recent decades have seen the species return to several southwestern states. Wolves began returning to Oregon and Washington in the 2000s, and in 2011, a wolf from Oregon spotted in California.
Since then there have been at least two wolf packs in California. One of these known as the Shasta Pack which had five dolls in 2015 before disappearing later in the year. Nowadays, California is home to less than a dozen gray wolves, but conservationists are hopeful that OR-93’s daring trips show that wolves can re-establish themselves in the Sierras.
“We learned to explore this wolf deep in the Sierra Nevada, because scientists said it was the entire wolf’s habitat,” Weiss explained. “He’s another beacon of hope, showing that wolves can come back here and thrive as long as they’re legally protected.”
While some conservationists have rejoiced at the news, others have not. Wolves are top predators and their presence in the state could bring about some profound changes in the larger ecosystem, not to mention the threat they posed to livestock. “We manage to save, so we want them to stay here. However, we also have to deal with the effects of their presence here, “Jordan Traverso, a spokesman for California’s Fish and Wildlife Division, told the Los Angeles Times.
Conflicts with humans continue to threaten species. Last month alone, the state of Wisconsin allocated 119 wolves to die, but poachers and trappers hit targets within three days, killing 216 wolves, the Associated Press reported. In February 2020, a female gray wolf died while traveling 14,000 kilometers (8,700 miles) between California and Oregon two years apart in northeastern California. The cause of death remains unclear, but some suspect the wolf poached illegally.
