Gray Wolf Tracked To Southwest Oregon

Amelia Templeton | November 2, 2011 | Medford, OR

Biologists tracking a gray wolf from Northeastern Oregon say it has traveled more than 300 miles. The wolf crossed the Cascades and showed up in southwest Oregon not far from Crater Lake.

 

Dispersal of OR-7 from Imnaha Wolf Pack as of Oct. 28, 2011 - Oregon Fish & Wildlife

 

 

It’s the first confirmed gray wolf in Western Oregon since the species was deliberately exterminated in the 1940s.
The animal is code-named "Oregon-7."
It wears a GPS collar that sends data about its location several times a day. John Stephenson is a federal wolf biologist. He says in the past, he's found tracks in the snow in the Oregon cascades he thinks were left by a wolf. But he’s never been able to confirm a sighting. Stephenson says there's a chance the collared wolf will help reveal a few more.
"They’re dispersing to find a new territory but they're also a pack animal so they’re also searching for a mate. We’ll see if they find one or not. They would be more effective at finding a lone wolf out there on the landscape than we’re able to do," he said.
Two wolf packs have recently established themselves in the Cascades in Washington State. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is evaluating whether wolves in western Oregon and Washington are a distinct population. The service should reach a decision early next year.

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