Rare wolf migrates into Fresno County
A rare gray wolf has been quietly traversing farmland in Fresno County, marking new territory for the threatened canines and chronicling one of the species’ farthest trips south in a century.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported Monday that it had tracked the wolf ’s migration in recent weeks from Mono County, east of Yosemite National Park, across the Sierra and into the heart of the San Joaquin Valley.
The animal’s last known location was an undisclosed spot west of Highway 99, which means it crossed the busy artery through the state’s farm belt and ended up in sprawling agricultural land miles from its typical habitat in the forested mountains and foothills.
The wolf, which is being monitored through a collar fitted to it last year in Oregon, is a young male that dispersed from that state’s White River pack, southeast of Mount Hood. Identified by the tag on its collar, OR93, the animal is believed to have made the lengthy journey in search of a mate.
Only a handful of wolves roam in California. The animal was hunted to extinction in the state in the 1920s, and a few wolves started occasionally showing up from the north just a decade ago. The first to be spotted, OR7, is presumed dead, but one of its pups cavorted with other Oregon wolves to give rise to the Lassen pack in Lassen and Plumas counties, the only group living in California today. The pack has produced several litters since 2017.
Another pair has recently begun living in Siskiyou County. A handful of others periodically make appearances in California.
OR93 was in Modoc County near the CaliforniaOregon border in early February, according to the GPS unit on its collar. But the animal moved rapidly south through the Sierra Nevada, crossing Interstate 80, and showing up near Yosemite by the end of the month. It has subsequently traveled through Tuolumne, Mariposa, Merced, Madera and Fresno counties.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife has been collaring and tracking wolves in an effort to help the species rebound. The monitoring units provide only periodic updates of the wolves’ locations, with a lag generally of about 12 hours.
State officials say gray wolves pose “very little” safety risk to humans, but they can create problems for livestock producers. Officials said Tuesday they’re working with ranchers and county agricultural commissioners in OR93’s likely path to prevent potential wolflivestock conflicts.
“It’s a good ecological story but, of course, it’s going to come with some concern,” said Jordan Traverso, a spokeswoman with the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Gray wolves are listed as endangered under California’s Endangered Species Act, and it’s illegal to trap or kill the animal. The Department of Fish and Wildlife asks anyone who sees a wolf to report it at wildlife.ca. gov/Conservation/ Mammals/GrayWolf/ SightingReport.