OR-54, a female wolf around 3 to 4 years old, was found dead in Shasta County, CA, Feb. 5.
The wolf was born into Oregon’s Rogue Pack in 2016 and was the fourth wolf from that pack known to have spent time in California.
OR-54 was collared in October 2017 by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials. In January 2018, she crossed state lines into California’s Siskiyou County, and spent most of her time roaming around the state, although she made a few trips back to Oregon.
The wolf’s collar recorded more than 7,600 miles after leaving the Rogue Pack in Oregon. Last fall, she crossed the south side of Interstate 80 and briefly entered Nevada, representing the southernmost known wolf locations in the state since wolves returned to California in 2011.
As gray wolves are covered under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) as well as California’s ESA, an investigation has been launched by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to determine the wolf’s cause of death. Killing a wolf can lead to serious penalties, including imprisonment.
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