Oregon's Wondering Wolf may have Found Love

Oregon's famous wandering grey wolf, OR-7, may have found a new mate that trekked thousands of miles looking for a partner.

Biologists with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said they discovered a black wolf in the area where they've been tracking OR-7 with a GPS collar, via a press release. The animal was captured on camera squatting to urinate, showing signs that the creature is female.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist Stephenson speculates that this may be proof that the two wolves mated over the winter and are now rearing pups that would have been born in April.

The GPS collar on OR-7 has also shown the wolf staying in a localized area throughout the past couple months, which typically fits the pattern of breeding behaviors seen in wolves.

"It's likely that this new wolf and OR-7 have paired up," Stephenson said, via NPR. "More localized GPS collar data from OR-7 is an indicator that they may have denned. If that's correct, they would be rearing pups at this time of year."

Authorities will not begin to look for a den until June so as not to endanger the pups.

"It's amazing that he appears to have found a mate," Stephenson added. "I didn't think it would happen. It makes me more impressed with the ability of wolves to survive and find one another."

As young wolves typically leave the pack in search of a mate, researchers found that OR-7 has been looking since leaving the Imnaha pack in north-eastern Oregon, September, 2011.