The romantic, post-apocalyptic journey of wolf OR-7

As millions of people around the world now know, in early September a restless two-year old wolf named OR-7 left his home in the Wallowa Mountains and set out to seek his fortune. Thanks to his GPS collar, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife -- and soon everybody else -- was able to follow his epic westward journey across the rugged landscapes of John Day, Malheur and the volcanic badlands south of Bend.

On Nov. 1, OR-7 became the first wolf in western Oregon in more than 60 years. He spent the next two months intensively searching for a mate in an area of about 100 square miles south of Crater Lake National Park. Finally, just after Christmas, he gave up and resumed his cross-country trek. A few days later, he crossed the California border, to became the first wolf in that state since 1924. At last report, he was headed toward Nevada, which has never been home to an established wolf population. He has traveled more than 1,000 miles.

News stories about OR-7's incredible odyssey have tended to take a bemused tone, portraying it as a romantic but basically foolish exploit; the song "Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places" crops up again and again. But there is a more telling model for OR-7's story. This is not a corny country ballad; it is a post-apocalyptic fable, like "The Road" or "Dawn of the Dead." The touchstones are all there; simply cast wolves as the persecuted Survivors, and in the role of the merciless, seemingly all-powerful Enemy ... well, us. Here is that story:

For decades, the Survivors are everywhere ruthlessly hunted down and exterminated. Then, incredibly, a small cadre of the Enemy reveal themselves to be merciful, and with their help, small numbers of Survivors are allowed to reoccupy a tiny fraction of their former lands. The total number of Survivors in the western United States approaches 2,000 -- that is, the population of a small village. This is too much for the Enemy, and in a massive backlash, federal protections are restricted, the hunting of Survivors for sport resumes, and rewards for dead Survivors are once again offered.

It is against this backdrop that OR-7 is born. Although he grows up under the watchful eyes of a protective band of the Enemy, in his first two years he sees two members of his family killed, another dies following her capture by the "protectors," and he himself is captured, drugged and fitted with a locator harness.

Desperate to find a new life, OR-7 sets out alone across a hostile landscape. It is almost impossible to conceive of the dangers of this journey: physical hardships, the constant threat of starvation, the fear of being killed by the Enemy. And we must not forget the loneliness, for like all Survivors, OR-7 is an intensely social being, and he is utterly alone.

Finally, he reaches what appears to be a refuge, with abundant game and plenty of water. But as week after week passes, he searches with increasing desperation for a mate, or just the signs of any other Survivors at all. There are none. Finally, he leaves his safe haven and strikes out again across country, with no destination and little hope. When last we see him in our mind's eye, he is loping onward into the distance, his gaze wavering from side to side, disappearing from view, lost. It is hard to imagine a happy ending.

This is, of course, only a fable. Like all animal fables, it tells us little about the animal and much about ourselves. Wolves are hardly defenseless Survivors. They are intelligent, resourceful predators and certainly show no mercy, except to their own kind. Just like us.

Pepper Trail is a naturalist and writer living in Ashland.