Gray Wolf Makes Record Journey To Southern California

CALIFORNIA — A gray wolf was spotted in northern Ventura County in late September, the farthest south in the Golden State that any gray wolf has been confirmed in nearly 100 years, wildlife officials said.

Officials suspect that the animal could be Or-93, the wolf that captivated Californians as he traversed farther south across the Golden State than any other tracked wolf in more than a century. On April 5, his radio collar went dark but recent reports of a wolf found in northern Ventura County matched his description, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

From February to April 5, he pawed at least 935 air miles across the state — a minimum of 16 air miles per day, officials said.

"Though CDFW does not have forensic evidence to confirm this at this time, the wolf could be OR-93," the state's wildlife department said in a statement.

The yearling gray wolf was first collared in June 2020 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs in Oregon.

In August, CDFW received a report from May 15, showing a collared gray wolf in southwest Kern County that could have been OR-93, but his identity wasn't confirmed. If an opportunity arises, wildlife officials said they would try to recollar and continue tracking the wolf.

His trackers have not been able to confirm his whereabouts, but the good news is that state officials never picked up a "mortality signal" from the wolf. That particular ping would indicate that he had not moved in at least eight hours, the Los Angeles Times previously reported.

It is also possible that the collar simply broke or its batteries died.

"OR-93 hasn’t pinged since April 5 — and that’s been awful tough on us," Jordan Traverso told the Times. Traverso is a spokeswoman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. "We’re trying to keep hope alive."

The young male wolf first left his pack along the White River in June of 2020, southeast of Mount Hood.

"Like many young wolves, he subsequently left his pack in search of a new territory and/or a mate," officials from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a statement.

Shortly after, he embarked on a 500-mile trek from Oregon to central Fresno County — each step chronicled by his GPS collar.

OR-93 traveled from Mono County, through parts of Tuolumne, Mariposa, Merced and Madera counties, the state agency said.

By late March, he had entered Fresno County, then moved to San Benito County. Experts believe he crossed two busy highways — Highway 99 and Interstate 5. He was tracked in Monterey on April 1.

The last collar reading showed him traveling through San Luis Obispo County on April 5, according to the state.

His journey marked the farthest south that any collared wolf has been tracked and a signal that gray wolves may be returning to their native lands in California. Gray wolves are rare in the Golden State these days and they haven't been around much since the 1920s.

His appearance in San Luis Obispo County also marked the first time in a century that a gray wolf traipsed around California's Central Coast.

Only about 12 gray wolves are roaming in California now of their own accord. Since, 2014, gray wolves have been federally listed as endangered, but effective Jan. 1, these wolves were taken off that list by the Trump administration.

In California, gray wolves are still listed as endangered.

"It is unlawful to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap or capture gray wolves," according to the state.

It remains unclear just why wolves decide to leave California, according to the state agency.

"There is no definitive answer," according to the department. "Studies demonstrate that human activity can have a negative impact on wolf populations, particularly where there are roads and agricultural activity."

The agency added: "Wolves were likely killed to control predation on other animals. Other factors, including hunting, may have contributed to their extirpation from California."

Anyone who believes they have seen a wolf in California can report it to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife here.

"Gray wolves pose very little safety risk to humans," the department said.

Another gray wolf reportedly hit the dusty trail on the heel's of OR-93 in May.

The newly tracked male gray wolf, OR-103, was tagged with a GPS collar in Deschutes County, Ore. and entered northeastern Siskiyou County on May 4, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Officials estimate that he was born in 2019 or 2020.