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Last summer, biologists fitted a gray wolf living near Mount Hood with a tracking collar. Then, in February, the wolf did something remarkable—he crossed the border into California, and became the first wolf spotted near Yosemite in over 100 years.
Now, that wolf could be in trouble.
OR-93′s whereabouts have been unknown since April 5, and state officials who’ve been attempting to find the animal are becoming increasingly concerned. The LA Times recently reported that OR-93′s collar hasn’t emitted a signal in over two months, and that Oregon and California state biologists are collaborating on a flyover search party.
The wolf’s last known location was three hours north of Los Angeles in San Luis Obispo County. The cause of OR-93′s disappearance is unknown—theories range from a malfunctioning collar to death, though biologists haven’t picked up a mortality signal indicating that the canine hasn’t moved in eight or more days.
Gray wolves were hunted to near extinction in the 20th century. Wolves were recently removed from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s endangered species list, a decision that sparked much criticism from environmentalists.
Related: Oregon’s Wolf Population Grew Last Year, but Just Barely.
