Report: Record Number of Wolves in Oregon

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – A record number of wolves are roaming the forests and fields of Oregon, 20 years after the species returned to the state.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a report released Monday that the number of known wolves in Oregon at the end of 2018 was 137, a 10 percent increase over the previous year.

There are likely even more wolves because not all individuals or packs are located during the winter count.

Sixteen packs – defined as four or more wolves traveling together in winter – were documented during the count, up from 12 packs in 2017. Wolves were discovered in the central Oregon Cascade Range in late 2018. Several crossed over into California and Idaho.