“Unfortunately, what they found was her carcass,” Jordan Traverso, a department spokeswoman, said.

The death has devastated biologists at the department and conservationists who became invested in the remarkable journey of the wolf known as OR-54, so named because she was the 54th wolf collared by Oregon wildlife officials. She was also the offspring of OR-7, a male well known in some circles for crossing into California in 2011, becoming the first wolf to appear in the state in about 100 years.

Wolves are prolific breeders, biologically driven to break off and start their own packs. The average wolf will travel 50 to 100 miles to find a mate, and some will travel hundreds more, according to Misi Stine, outreach director at the International Wolf Center in Minnesota.

But the distance OR-54 covered in two years was “extraordinarily long,” she said.

“She’s going to be one of those ones who people say, ‘Wow, she was exceptional,’ because we know her story,” Ms. Stine said.

The circumstances of her death are under investigation. The department said in a statement on Thursday that it “takes very seriously any threats to this recovering wolf population,” adding, “We remind the public that killing a wolf is a potential crime and subject to serious penalties, including imprisonment.”

Biologists have not said where the carcass was found.

OR-54 was mythic not just for the vast distance she covered or her famous father: She is also believed to have killed several calves in Plumas County and surrounding areas.