Lone Wolf

On December 28, 2011, a single gray wolf (Canis lupus) wandered across the border from Oregon into California. The first of his species to run wild in our state in 88 years, he started a media and fan frenzy. Known as OR7, the wolf has a GPS collar around its neck, allowing scientists and fans to track his location online. At the time of writing, he’s currently southbound, wandering the Sierra Nevada Mountains near the city of Redding. The 2-year-old wolf arrived here by means of a behavior called dispersal, a natural survival instinct. Follow his whereabouts by visiting www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/nongame/wolf.