California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) officials announced that the wolf known as OR-93 was struck and killed by a vehicle on Interstate 5 in Kern County on Nov. 10.
A necropsy confirmed the wolf died from trauma consistent with vehicular strike and did not suspect foul play. CDFW received a call from a truck driver reporting a deceased wolf along a dirt trail parallel to I-5 and quickly identified the animal as OR-93 due to its collar.
OR-93 was a male wolf born in 2019. He dispersed from the White River pack in northern Oregon. OR-93 was tracked throughout California until his last collar transmission from San Luis Obispo County on April 5.
Amaroq Weiss, senior wolf advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, was “devastated” to hear the news and stressed the state “has to do so much more to preserve wildlife connectivity and protect animals like OR-93 from car strikes.”
