Endangered Gray Wolves Trek 14,000 Kilometers to Mate, Ultimately Dies Alone
The dwindling number of wild animals are struggling to survive, “extinction” is what they desperately avoid, yet it is tragically occurring.
According to The Washington Post on February 9, in October 2017, Oregon biologists captured a female gray wolf weighing 83 pounds (75 kilograms) and administered sedatives, fitted her with a collar.
They hoped to track this endangered animal's movements in order to fully document its legendary story as a solitary wolf.
Unfortunately, this legendary story ended last week.
This wolf named OR-54 was found dead in California on January 5th, the cause of death is under investigation.
Meanwhile, the case of OR-59, another wolf similarly fitted with a collar and tracked, remains unresolved. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a reward of $2,500 (approximately 1.7) for anyone providing relevant information.
OR-54 had been searching for a mate, searching for other wolf packs in its journey, having already traveled at least 14,020 kilometers (14,020 miles).
Researchers said that when it died, OR-54 was only 3-4 years old.
OR-7, a wolf born in Oregon, was the first wild gray wolf recorded in the state of California, and the species has seen a significant reduction in numbers after the 20th century.
OR-7’s appearance prompted the California Fish and Game Commission to vote in 2014 to establish gray wolf protection areas according to the California Endangered Species Protection Act.
OR-54 was the daughter of OR-7, the 54th wolf fitted with this collar.
Wildlife officials have long tried to track a wild wolf.
As The Oronian reported at the time, the tracking collar on the famous OR-7 stopped working years ago, and officials hadn’t been able to install new tracking devices on any protected animals in the area for several years.
Therefore, when the news of its capture by humans came in 2017, it was arousing excitement.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife wrote excitedly on its official social account: “Finally, we found it!”
On January 24, 2018, OR-54 first crossed Siskiyou County east, then passed through Big Sur, Lassen Peak, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Snow Mountain and Tehama counties.
It averaged 20 kilometers (20 miles) per day, solely to find a mate for mating and producing offspring, but ultimately died alone.
There were fewer than twelve wolves known in California.
Amaroq Weiss, a spokesperson for the Center for Biological Diversity, said at a press conference: “OR-54, like its father, is a beacon of hope, representing that wolf packs are still there.”
But its death was a heavy blow, reversing the progress of the species’ recovery.
Image source: Network, for reference
