It’s official: Wolf OR-7 and his lover have been busy making magic together and are now the proud parents of at least two wolf-lings, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Adorable baby wolves are good news in general, but OR-7 is particularly important because his love affair resulted in the first known wolf reproduction in the Oregon Cascades since the 1940s. Oh what a night!

Meanwhile, the California Fish and Game Commission voted today to include gray wolves in the California Endangered Species Act, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. If OR-7 and his family want to take a trip down to California, they can now do so under the state’s protection.

As Journey’s family helps rebound the gray wolf population in Southern Oregon, keep in mind that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommended that gray wolves be removed from the protection of the federal Endangered Species Act. As Rep. Peter DeFazio says in a statement released today, “If the Service delists the gray wolf, states could declare open season on gray wolves like OR-7, his mate and these new pups.” The final decision will come later this year.

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