Famed grey wolf who brought hope to wildlife advocates found dead, hit by car

A male grey wolf found dead near Lebec, California earlier this month is the famed OR-93, the brave wolf who left his Oregon pack and left in search of a new mate, according to a statement issued by state officials Wednesday.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) said a truck driver found the wolf off a trail near Interstate 5 and called their counterparts at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, who had originally tagged the wolf with a radio collar when it was one year old.

His remains were discovered on Nov. 10 about 50 miles north of Los Angeles by a truck driver who noticed him on a dirt trail near a frontage road not far from Interstate 5.

A CDFW warden quickly recovered the carcass and identified it as OR-93 by his tracking collar. The following investigation and necropsy determined the wolf had "died from trauma consistent with vehicular strike” with no signs of foul play.

Wildlife and wolf advocates who had been tracking the wolf expressed deep sadness at the furry traveler's passing. 

"OR-93's relentless wandering gave us hope, inspiration and a brief glimpse at what it would be like to see wolves running free across California again," Amaroq Weiss, a senior wolf advocate and spokeswoman for the Center of Biological Diversity told the Los Angeles Times. "I only wish we could have offered him a safer world." 

Grey wolves were hunted to extinction in California in the 1920s by farmers trying to protect their livestock. It was listed as an endangered species by state officials in 2014, making them illegal to hunt, trap, harass, or harm.

OR-93 was born near Mt. Hood in northern Oregon. He caught the attention of wildlife enthusiasts when he left his pack on Jan. 30 and headed south into California.

His journey has seen him cross at least 15 county lines and multiple freeways, including the busy 99, 5, and 101. The wolf's collar stopped emitting signals on April 5, at which time he was tracked having traveled 935 miles to  San Luis Obispo at a rate of about 16 miles per day. 

“I thank him for the hope he gave us and for a brief glimpse into what it would be like for wolves to roam wild and free again,” Weiss said. “California has to do so much more to preserve wildlife connectivity and protect animals like OR93 from car strikes.”

Beth Pratt, regional executive director of the nonprofit National Wildlife Federation and leader of its #SaveLACougars campaign to fund a wildlife crossing on the high-traffick 101 Hollywood Freeway revealed particularly ironic news when speaking to the Los Angeles Times. 

"What hurts deep down inside is that OR-93 was only a few steps away from the 270,000 acres Tejon Ranch Conservatory when he was run over. A few feet away from Shangri-La for wolves just waiting for him and an adventurous female to follow his path into the history books."