Far wandering wolf and mate have first Oregon Cascade pups in over 70 years-
There was joy among wolf conservationists this spring when famous wolf OR-7 was found to be in company of a female wolf after his years of wandering over a thousand miles from his NE Oregon birthplace and then probably thousands more around the northern California/southwestern Oregon countryside. Now the icing on the cake is the announcement that the couple have pups. The new wolf pack is in the densely forested and/or brushy country of the southern Cascade Mountains to the east of the Ashland/Medford area. The origin of OR-7’s mate is not known, though it is likely she migrated from NE Oregon too.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released photos of two pups peeking out of their apparently well concealed den. The photos show two pups, but sounds indicate there might be more than two.
OR-7 was born in NE Oregon. His parents were descended from Idaho wolves. While most of his littermates remained in the area, some migrated. The distance of his migration (to northern California) made him famous. While the den site is in southern Oregon, it is probably not more than 30 linear miles north of the California border. The wolves have dual federal/state protection in Oregon, and now state protection in California because California Fish and Game Commission just voted 3-1 to include wolves in the Golden State’s Endangered Species Act.
Here are more complete stories:
Wandering Oregon Wolf Is Father To Pups In Cascade Range. AP
Wolf OR7’s new pups confirmed as California decides to protect the species. By Matt Weiser. Sacramento Bee
Wolves in California Protected Under State Endangered Species Act. Decision Comes Two Days After Wolf Pups Observed in Southern Oregon. Center for Biological Diversity new release.
Comments
OR-7 met a mate and they had pups. California and Oregon are protecting the wolves. Wish Idaho had a similar mentality. Idaho has many good people but they are not in the legislature. Money has the legislature locked up. Attend any legislature committee meetings and you will be amazed at the lack of intelligence. Honest.
Nothing can rain on my parade tonight. This news is the best thing I’ve heard in a long time. Way to go California! And I’m so happy OR-7 is no longer a lone wolf. Pups!!
also so happy he and his family are so far from the Idaho border…..hopefully they stay where there are.
For this news I have waited a long time; go Cascade wolves! And so near where the last wild wolf was reported as being killed in Oregon prior to western reintroduction.
Hopefully we will find out from whence the lady wolf came.
Don’t cheer to loudly yet on the Cali news. Another vote has to be had in August.
Yes, I know there is a final vote coming in August, but……..I think this vote is a great start. Think positively.
This is the best news I’ve had in 5 or 10 years.
As an Oregornian I’m cautious but optimistic wolves can disperse throughout the Cascade Mountains. Wouldn’t that be something if they moved into the Sierras too. Oregon has a very progressive wolf management plan and wolves in the Cascades are still protected under the ESA. Amazing animals that can travel this far and find a mate!
This seemed to me so improbable as to be almost miraculous !
There are occasional success stories : the reintroduction of wolves and OR-7’s wonderful story in particular, and the successes with bald eagles and peregrine falcons, for example.
It makes me cautiously optimistic that we can find it in ourselves to permit wolverines, Canadian lynx, woodland caribou, California condors, and the several species of Pacific salmon to expand their ranges and multiply, too.
🙂 🙂 Agree alf!
Wow this is great news. Wolves in the Oregon Cascades. This is the biggest wolf news since Idaho wolf B-45 wandered from Idaho into Oregon in 1999. It is surprising that we did not hear about this new female until now after it has mated with OR-7. If that new female was not detected until now perhaps there are a few more in the Oregon cascades that have not yet been documented.
Great news!
OR-7 and his mate have pups!
In times of all these awful news from Idaho and Wyoming this is a real gleam of hope for the wolves and all wolf friends.
This is obviously wonderful news. I just hope that more wolves come from areas such as NE Oregon, so the population can have new genetic material coming in.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/06/08/3225464/a-lonely-wolf-gets-a-new-mate.html?sp=/99/101/531/
Funny how the commentators have to mention wolves decimating the elk herds in Idaho even though the article is about wolves in Oregon and moving into California.