“Hopefully,” she added, “they’re taking down deer instead of cows and sheep. Maybe they’ve moved to a quieter place with room to roam.” “I haven’t noticed any fresh evidence of the pack since July,” she said, “There’s been a lot more activity in the area since then. That kind of talk leaves some federal forest managers and timber industry advocates quietly seething.īut Harris, 28, worries over the outcome of what is shaping up to be a contest for dominance between two top predators, Canis lupus and Homo sapiens. “Logging reduces habitat for deer, adversely impacting endangered wolves.” “Higher ungulate abundance provides prey for wolves,” he said. Scientists say a comprehensive recovery plan encouraging their return is crucial to returning ecological stability across thousands of square miles of still-wild habitat.Īmong them was ecologist Chad Hanson, who, in an interview, said the wolf pack has become, of all things, the beneficiary of wildfires that jump-started new generations of nutritious grass and shrubs that attract deer they prey on. In any case, gray wolves occupy a small part of their historic range. OR-93’s travels had signaled the potential return of a predatory force that some conservationists say would repair the out-of-balance wildlands and make them more stable and diverse.ĭNA analysis confirmed that the adult female in Tulare County is a direct descendant of OR-7, which crossed the state line in 2011 to become the first known wild wolf in 90 years to make the Golden State part of its range. 10 that year, near a frontage road running parallel to Interstate 5, about 50 miles north of Los Angeles.Ī necropsy conducted by state wildlife authorities determined that OR-93 died from trauma consistent with a vehicle strike. Then there was the epic journey of OR-93, a lone gray wolf that in late 2021 ventured from Oregon to the very edge of Southern California’s crowded suburbs in search of territory and mates.Ĭalifornia’s most adventurous wolf was found dead on the afternoon of Nov. Nine years after President Obama created the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, park officials struggle to cope with hordes of visitors. Find out how to adopt an animal, support the Recovering America's Wildlife Act, and create safe spaces for wildlife. Climate & Environment Trash heaps and wild parties: Blight invades a beloved L.A. Learn about the gray wolf, the largest living wild canine species, its range, diet, behavior, life history, and conservation status.
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