The Newest Wolf to California
January 7, 2016 - Modoc County, CA – California Department of Fish & Wildlife released a report confirming the presence of another wolf in Northern California on January 7, 2016. This wolf is not part of the Shasta Pack, but is believed to be a lone wolf.
"In mid-December 2015, Wolf OR 25, a collared wolf from Oregon entered the state and appears to be exhibiting dispersal behavior. OR 25 is a nearly three year-old male with a very dark coat. Yesterday’s collar reading showed OR 25 in northern Modoc County”, the Departments report read. OR 25 has dispersed from the Imnaha Pack in Northeastern Oregon, a pack that both OR7 and the alpha female of the Shasta pack are related to.
“As we celebrate OR 25’s dispersal into California, we cannot help but see the landscape through his eyes,” said Karin Vardaman, Director of California Wolf Recover for the California Wolf Center. “We see spacious suitable habitat shared with open ranging cattle. As ranchers are the stewards of much of the open space that wolves currently, and will continue to, inhabit in California, we must continue to support the livestock community through collaborative efforts, including providing non-lethal tools that protect both wolves and livestock thus promoting successful coexistence. This is the only way to make wild wolf recovery in California a reality.”
When Journey crossed the Oregon-California border in 2011, the California Wolf Center made it a priority to lay the groundwork that would allow wild wolves to peacefully return to the Golden State’s wild areas. “This is very exciting news for the recovery of wolves in California and it makes our work with the ranching community that much more critical,” said Vardaman.
Looking forward in 2016, the state Department of Fish & Wildlife has three scheduled public discussions for the recently released Draft California Wolf Conservation Plan. OR 25 has shown us that regardless of the Plan’s content, wild wolves will continue to come to California and we must have the foundation in place for successful recovery
About California Wolf Center
The California Wolf Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the return of wild wolves to their natural habitat and to the people who share the landscape with them. We foster communities coming together to ensure wolves, livestock, and people thrive in today’s world. Learn more at californiawolfcenter.org
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Media Contact
Michelle Carroll, Director of Education and Volunteers