'Trying to keep hope alive': Joy turns to dread as historic California wolf goes missing

JUST OVER 21 THOUSAND DOSES HAVE BEEN ADMINISTERED. ### NEW AT SIX -- FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE 1800S THERE IS A KNOWN WOLF IN SAN BENITO COUNTY. ACTION NEWS EIGHT REPORTER CAITLIN CONRAD TELLS US WHAT HE'S DOING SO FAR SOUTH. THE CENTRAL COAST CAN NOW CALL ITSELF HOME TO A WOLF... AT LEAST FOR NOW. THE RADIO COLLAR ON OR93 SHOWS HE CROSSED INTO SAN BENITO COUNTY THIS WEEKEND -- AFTER TRAVERSING THE CENTRAL VALLEY AND EVENTUALLY CROSSING INTERSTATE FIVE -- IN WHAT WOLF BIOLOGISTS ARE CALLING A REMARKABLE JOURNEY. <7:28 I HAVE TO ASSUME THAT BASED ON THAT FACT THAT HE CROSSED HIGHWAY 99 AND INTERSTATE 5 THAT WHAT HE DID WAS HE FOUND SOME SAFE PLACES UNDERNEATH THOSE ROADWAYS -- SOME CULVERTS SOME RIVER CROSSINGS SOME CREEK CROSSINGS> AMAROQ WEISS WITH THE CENTERS FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY SAYS ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF YOUNG WOLVES LEAVE THEIR BIRTH PACKS LIKE OR93... BUT NONE THAT THEY KNOW OF HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR SOUTH SINCE THE 1800S. <8:30 WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A MATE OF THEIR OWN AND THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO SET UP A TERRITORY -- IT'S LIKE AN 18 YEAR OLD KID LEAVING HOME FOR THE FIRST TIME -- GOING OFF TO COLLEGE OR WHERE EVER THEY ARE GOING AND ESTABLISHING THEMSELVES.> UNFORTUNATELY FOR OR93 HE MISSED HIS BEST CHANCE OF FINDING A FEMALE IN CALIFORNIA WHEN HE PASSED THE LASSEN PACK'S TERRITORY IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. <CAITLIN CONRAD THE ROLLING HILLS AND FARMLAND OF SAN BENITO COUNTY ARE HARDLY WOLF COUNTRY WHICH RAISES THE QUESTION - - HOW LONG WILL OR-93 STAY HERE? ONE THING WE KNOW FOR SURE THIS WANDERING WOLF CAN COVER A LOT OF GROUND> THE COLLARED ANIMAL WAS BORN INTO A PACK NEAR MOUNT HOOD IN OREGON AND STARTED HIS SOUTHWARD JOURNEY IN JANUARY -- IN THE PAST THREE MONTHS HE CROSSED INTO CALIFORNIA IN MODOC COUNY THEN HEADED INTO THE SIERRA NEVADA BEFORE TURNING WEST AND FINALLY REACHING SAN BENITO COUNTY. IN 2016 THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE PUBLISHED ITS WOLF PLAN AND ESTIMATED THE STATE COULD SUSTAIN 497 ANIMALS... AND THAT THEIR RANGE WOULD BE LIMITED TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND THE SIERRA -- BUT WEISS SAYS SCIENCE MAY HAVE UNDERESTIMATED OR93. <5:00 ALL THE WOLVES THAT ALL HAVE COME TO CALIFORNIA SINCE 2011 HAVE TRAVELED HAVE ALL BEEN WITHIN THAT MAP EXCEPT FOR OR 923 HAS NOW STEPPED BEYOND THAT MAP 5:17 OR 93 HAS NOW STEPPED BEYOND THE SOUTHERN SIERRA FOOTHILLS AND COME FARTHER WEST -- THAT'S REALLY REMARKABLE 5:31> A WOLF IN FARMLAND MAY RAISE THE HAIRS OF RANCHERS WORRIED ABOUT LIVESTOCK DEGRADATION. BUT WEISS SAYS THERE ARE PLENTY OF DEER AND FERAL PIGS FOR OR93 TO EAT... AND SHE REMINDS PEOPLE THAT WOLVES ARE PROTECTED UNDER THE CALIFORNIA ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT IN CALIFOR

Joy has turned to apprehension for researchers tracking a young wolf in California.OR-93 has been on a remarkable, historic journey. The wolf, who was born into Oregon's White River pack, crossed the border into California in February. He headed south with a bullet: His GPS collar soon pinged near Yosemite, the first time in over 100 years a wolf had been spotted in the region. Not content to settle down, OR-93 then crossed at least three highways on his way to the Central Coast. "Much of California is historic wolf habitat, including the Central Coast," Jordan Traverso of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife told SFGATE in April, "though one hasn’t been sighted on the Central Coast since 1826."But there, the wolf disappeared.OR-93's collar hasn't pinged since April 5 in San Luis Obispo County. It also hasn't be reliably sighted by anyone."That's been awful tough on us," Traverso told the Los Angeles Times. "We’re trying to keep hope alive."The collar is supposed to give off a "mortality" signal if it doesn't move for eight hours, but researchers haven't yet seen that devastating message. It's possible the collar is simply broken or its batteries died. State biologists in Oregon and California plan on flying a plane with equipment that can detect faint GPS pings over the areas where OR-93 is known to have frequented. “It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that OR-93 found some other wolves down there,” Traverso told the Times, “and is running with a Central Coast pack that no one knew existed.”The dispersal of younger individuals from a pack is not uncommon, though it has never before been seen to these lengths. Wolves will often venture alone from their habitat to join other packs, find new territories, or form their own pack in unoccupied habitat, Traverso told SFGATE.Traverso said that as a hungry carnivore, OR-93 could be feeding on rabbits, rodents, deer, or even cattle. And this latter meal of choice may seal his fate. Ranchers' concerns about the carnivore’s ability to poach livestock is increasingly likely to get OR-93 shot while searching for food in pastoral lands.Before his disappearance, OR-93's solitary journey south saw him cross at least 17 county lines."Gray wolves are an iconic species, important to our Tribes and state folklore, and Californians are very passionate about them," Traverso said. "I’ve been here 13 years and I’ve seen people get impassioned about few other species like they do wolves. They are charismatic megafauna in California."You can check the CDFW site for the latest wolf sighting updates. Exact whereabouts are deliberately not shared as the risk of being hunted concerns environmentalists.Video from previous broadcast.

Joy has turned to apprehension for researchers tracking a young wolf in California.

OR-93 has been on a remarkable, historic journey. The wolf, who was born into Oregon's White River pack, crossed the border into California in February. He headed south with a bullet: His GPS collar soon pinged near Yosemite, the first time in over 100 years a wolf had been spotted in the region. Not content to settle down, OR-93 then crossed at least three highways on his way to the Central Coast.

"Much of California is historic wolf habitat, including the Central Coast," Jordan Traverso of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife told SFGATE in April, "though one hasn’t been sighted on the Central Coast since 1826."

But there, the wolf disappeared.

OR-93's collar hasn't pinged since April 5 in San Luis Obispo County. It also hasn't be reliably sighted by anyone.

"That's been awful tough on us," Traverso told the Los Angeles Times. "We’re trying to keep hope alive."

The collar is supposed to give off a "mortality" signal if it doesn't move for eight hours, but researchers haven't yet seen that devastating message. It's possible the collar is simply broken or its batteries died. State biologists in Oregon and California plan on flying a plane with equipment that can detect faint GPS pings over the areas where OR-93 is known to have frequented.

“It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that OR-93 found some other wolves down there,” Traverso told the Times, “and is running with a Central Coast pack that no one knew existed.”

The dispersal of younger individuals from a pack is not uncommon, though it has never before been seen to these lengths. Wolves will often venture alone from their habitat to join other packs, find new territories, or form their own pack in unoccupied habitat, Traverso told SFGATE.

Traverso said that as a hungry carnivore, OR-93 could be feeding on rabbits, rodents, deer, or even cattle. And this latter meal of choice may seal his fate. Ranchers' concerns about the carnivore’s ability to poach livestock is increasingly likely to get OR-93 shot while searching for food in pastoral lands.

Before his disappearance, OR-93's solitary journey south saw him cross at least 17 county lines.

"Gray wolves are an iconic species, important to our Tribes and state folklore, and Californians are very passionate about them," Traverso said. "I’ve been here 13 years and I’ve seen people get impassioned about few other species like they do wolves. They are charismatic megafauna in California."

You can check the CDFW site for the latest wolf sighting updates. Exact whereabouts are deliberately not shared as the risk of being hunted concerns environmentalists.

Video from previous broadcast.

'Trying to keep hope alive': Joy turns to dread as historic California wolf goes missing

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