A radio-collared female gray wolf from Idaho’s Timberline Pack is now traveling in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest near the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area, between Medical Springs and Wallowa.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife issued a news release this afternoon to confirm it has verified the wolf is in the area.

The wolf, a 2- to 3-year-old female, has been wearing a radio collar since Idaho biologists captured her in August 2006 northeast of Boise. Oregon wildlife biologists have observed evidence of wolves in this area during the past six months.

Aerial searches for signals from wolf-tracking collars, specifically those Idaho has reported as missing, helped the Oregon agency locate the wolf.

State biologists picked up a signal on Jan. 17, but couldn’t confirm the location of the animal. A ground search the next day turned up what appeared to be wolf tracks. Another aerial search Monday failed to pick up the signal, but on Wednesday state Wolf Coordinator Russ Morgan picked up the signal and visually identified the wolf.

Morgan wasn’t available for comment, but ODFW spokeswoman Michelle Dennehy said the state plans to leave the wolf be, which is in line with the state’s wolf management plan.

“We’re just going to let the wolf do its thing,” she said.

This is the fifth wolf the state has confirmed in Oregon and all migrated from Idaho.

In March 1999 the ODFW captured a radio-collared female near John Day and returned it to Idaho. In 2000 there was a dead collared wolf along Interstate 84 south of Baker City, and someone shot and killed another wolf without a radio collar between Ukiah and Pendleton. Then July 2007 in Union County someone shot and killed a mature female wolf.

Experts have long predicted wolves from the expanding Idaho population would continue to cross the Snake River and enter Oregon. Biologists have been investigating evidence of wolves in northeast Oregon for some time. This wolf’s confirmed sighting validates the suspicion wolves use the area, but the state hasn’t confirmed the presence of breeding pairs or packs.

State and federal biologists will regularly monitor the movement of this wolf and continue to look for other wolf activity in Oregon.

Courtesy of ODFW