A second family of the gray wolf has been sighted in North California – it consists of the mother, her mate and at least three pups. This is good news for not only nature lovers but also for the success of efforts to revive a lost species of wildlife. According to state wildlife officials, Gray Wolves had not been seen since the 1920s.
The revival process
Fox News reports that this batch of pups saw the light of day in one of the National Forests and the origin of their mother is not known. However, her mate is identified as the son of OR7, a wolf that has a tracking device installed on it.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife has clarified that OR7 is believed to be the first of its kind in almost a century that has migrated into California from Oregon.
The presence of gray wolves in the area of the National Forest was established recently in the month of May and in late June, they captured the female to discover that it had recently become a mother. Therefore, they fitted a tracking collar on her. When they returned the next day, they were lucky because a trail camera of the United States Forest Service had captured photos of the mother and pups. Officials have indicated that the pack was found in western Lassen County but had also strayed into Plumas County.
Return of the gray wolves
The gray wolves that have now emerged are the second pack in California. The first confirmed breeding pair in the state had produced five pups in 2015 and their whereabouts are not known – they have not been seen since May 2016.
There are many reasons for a species of wildfire to go extinct and these animals are included in the category of endangered species by the federal government.
One of the contributory factors for extinction is loss of natural habitat which could be a result of various reasons like expansion of civilization, industrialization and deforestation. Another, and a more formidable one, is due to hunting. When a species is no longer visible, the authorities have to shoulder the responsibility to rectify the situation and introduce legislation to ensure that whatever little is left is allowed to grow and prosper.
In 2014, the state officials have granted protection to gray wolves under the endangered species act. There was opposition from different groups who felt that such protection would hurt their interests. They were mostly hunters and those who dealt in livestock. They had apprehensions that allowing these predators to roam freely would mean loss of deer and cattle but, under existing laws, these animals cannot be hunted or killed. Obviously, the protection has paid dividends and has brought the species back from the edge of extinction which is a positive sign for nature lovers and environmentalists.
