Resilient Legacy of OR-7 New Endangered Gray Wolf Pack

By Sydney Dalske

Ever since January 4, 1974 Gray Wolves have been protected under the Endangered Species Act¹ in all but one of 48 contiguous states (excluding the northern rocky mountains). OR-7 was a famous lone gray wolf that in 2011 was the first wild wolf in California in 90 years.

As of August 12, 2023 a new pack of endangered Gray Wolves, descendants from OR-7,have been discovered in the Sequoia National forest.² A far distance from their supposed original region with the Lassen pack, the  nearest known pack of Gray Wolves that live in Lassen national park.

This means there is now a population of approximately 20 wild Gray Wolves now in the state, with the new 5 just discovered which includes a female wolf and her four pups². This is a great comeback for Gray Wolves because the reason there are so few here, in an area they are native to, is because there used to be many Gray Wolves in the 1920s until they were hunted into extinction by predator-control programs across the country. So the fact that they were able to re-introduce themselves back into this habitat without human help was a great feat that took a very long time. It took such a long time because they had to trek down from Oregon and find the right habitat in which to inhabit. But many areas of California are actually suitable for these wolves.

The wide range of habitats that Gray Wolves live in stretches from forests to grasslands, mountains and tundra.¹ This means that this species of wolves is extremely adaptable and plays a large role in multiple environments. Being found in northern regions of California such as Siskiyou county,  Lassen national park, and the new pack in Sequoia national park³, means that they will come to influence those regions plus wherever they move to next. This new pack’s discovery has been found over 200 miles directly from any other known Californian packs⁴ which exemplifies the skill these wolves have in long distance migration and adaptability which is extremely key factor in them being able to reintroduce themselves to these areas since many have come from different states.

The influence these wolves have had on the environments around them is their huge role in the food chain and how they keep prey animals like moose, elk, deer² and more under control which then allows plant life to thrive as well.. Another factor of this is that Gray Wolves are the largest wild member of the Canine species. The food chains in which these wolves have already been established would crumble without them being a part of it which is why the more their populations grow the better. 

Now there are State and Federal laws in place that prohibit wolves from being hunted here but Gray Wolves specifically have conservationists fighting for even more protection. They do this because it is important that Gray Wolves continue to find their way back across their native habitat in California without any hindrance. That they continue to migrate and repopulate for the sake of biodiversity and for the wolves themselves. Being able to sustain themselves in a variety of places will give their species a better chance at survival along with a more balanced ecosystem for all creatures that live in this state.