Officials Lose Contact With Rare Gray Wolf

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San Luis Obisbo, CA — The whereabouts of a high-profile rare gray wolf is unknown.

We reported earlier that the wolf named OR-93 left Oregon last June and traveled through many parts of the state, including Tuolumne and Calaveras counties. It later went through an agricultural region in Fresno County and eventually over to the central coast.

The Associated Press reports that the last emitted “pings” from his radio collar came on April 5. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife indicates that the collar could be broken or malfunctioning. A positive note is that it has not put out a “mortality signal” which happens after eight hours of no movement.  It could also be that the batteries have gone bad. Officials relay that they are holding out hope that the wolf is doing fine.

State biologists from California and Oregon plan to fly over its last known path in hopes of picking up a signal.

Gray wolves were native to the state but driven to near extinction around the 1920’s.

Anyone who spots a gray wolf should contact CDFW. More information can be found here. It is illegal to shoot or kill a gray wolf in California.