Having returned to California about a decade ago after many years of absence, the gray wolf has become almost common in the high country near the Oregon state line. But now one has been spotted in Fresno County, according to state officials.

A GPS-collared wolf known as OR-93 is known to have recently been in agricultural areas in the central San Joaquin Valley after roaming south from Modoc County through foothill regions east of the valley in recent weeks, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The young male that dispersed from Oregon’s White River pack, southeast of Mt. Hood, was fitted with a tracking collar by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and area Native American tribes in June 2020. Like many young wolves, he left his pack in search of a new territory and/or a mate, state biologists said.

Gray wolves are listed as endangered in California, making it illegal to kill or wound them or even to shoo them away. Anyone who believes they have seen a wolf in California can report it to CDFW.

The agency cautions that other animals can be mistaken for gray wolves, and urges people to check this identification page for tips for differentiating between wolves, coyotes and dogs.

Gray wolves pose little safety risk to humans but have been blamed for numerous cattle and calf depredations in the Pacific Northwest.