Legendary California wolf that captivated animal lovers and enraged ranchers is likely dead

In 2011, a male wolf loped across the Oregon border near the small Siskiyou County city of Dorris, three days after Christmas.It was the first time since the 1920s a gray wolf’s paws had touched California soil after the animals were exterminated after the Gold Rush.The arrival of the wolf known as OR7 and his months of wanderings through the state’s rugged northeastern corner captivated the world and set off a fearsome debate between environmentalists and ranchers over whether wolves warranted protections under California’s Endangered Species Act.Nine years later, biologists believe OR7 – kno...