Image of what ODFW believes is Wolf OR-7, taken by trail camera Nov. 14, 2011 south of Willow Lake, Jackson County, Oregon.
Courtesy of Allen Daniels, ODFW
Wolf OR-7 has become something of a rock star in the world of wildlife. The young male left his pack exactly two years ago and has been wandering around California and Oregon since. Actually, he's seems to have a home for now, having spent the summer in one area in Southern Oregon.
OR-7 is on Twitter, has both a Facebook page and a group and is the subject of a forthcoming Kickstarter funded children's book. He's been nicknamed, "Journey," though his Twitter persona rejects that name.
Plus the wolf has people talking about him on the radio in conversations like this:
“Geoff Norcross, OPB News: The fact that he's stayed put for a little while, what does that tell you?
Michelle Dennehy, ODFW: What that tells you is, I think, he found some good habitat, at the very least. But again, we don't have any evidence that he's found a mate.
OPB: Is that why he struck out in the first place? He was looking for love?
ODFW: [Laughs] That's what everyone says. I think it's something everyone can relate to.”
Listen to the full audio:
The truth is, Wolf OR-7 got his fame by sheer luck. As ODFW's Michelle Dennehy notes in this OPB interview, OR-7 isn't the first wolf to leave his pack and adventure afar. What makes him unique is that he happens to have a GPS collar on him, rather than just a radio collar. OR-7 is famous because he's closely trackable.
“You'd be cranky too if you had to wear a GPS collar in this heat.”
You can find more on OR-7 at the OPB News story, including photos and maps.
-- Toni Tabora-Roberts
Related Links
- OPB News: Wandering Wolf 'OR-7' Appears To Have Found A Home
- EarthFix Field Notes: In Oregon Cascade's, A Lone Wolf
- EarthFix: Wolf OR-7
