After an epic journey that made him the world’s most famous, if lonesome, wolf, OR7 is now officially the leader of his own pack.
Wildlife officials this week designated OR7, also known as Journey, as the leader of the Rogue Pack in western Oregon, where the gray wolf settled after crossing back and forth into California from Oregon. In late 2011, OR7 became the first gray wolf in the Golden State since the last of his species was exterminated there in the 1920s.
The Rogue Pack is a small gang, consisting of OR7, his mate, and perhaps three of their offspring. But it signals that wolves are on the rise in Oregon.
Ironically, that could lead to the removal of some protections for the wolves if four breeding pairs produce pups for three consecutive years, according to Michelle Dennehy, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
via The World’s Loneliest Wolf Is Now the Leader of His Own Pack | TakePart.