California state wildlife biologist Richard Shinn was part of a government contingent visiting ranchers in Northern California's Modoc County when they spotted the wondering wolf OR-7 from Oregon. Shinn took this photograph.
credit:
Richard Shinn/California Dept. of Fish and Game
This track was left by OR-7 in Modoc County, Calif.
credit:
Pete Figura/California Dept. of Fish and Game
A track left in the snow in California by OR-7.
credit:
Pete Figura/California Dept. Fish and Game
GRANTS PASS, Ore. — A young male wolf from Oregon that won fame trekking cross-country looking for a mate has had what appears to be his first close encounter with people, and got his picture taken, to boot.
The California Department of Fish and Game said a federal trapper, a state game warden and a state wildlife biologist were visiting ranchers in Modoc County on Tuesday to notify them that GPS signals showed the wolf OR-7 was nearby.
Program Manger Karen Kovacs says when they stopped to look over a sagebrush hillside with binoculars, there was OR-7, hanging out with coyotes, keeping his distance from the humans, but definitely curious about them.
Biologist Richard Shinn snapped a color photo. It’s on the department’s wolf website.
The wolf left northeastern Oregon last September.
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