New Gray Wolf Pack Confirmed In California Gives Hope To The Species That Was Killed Off In The State In The 1920s

(Not the actual wolves found)

Hopeful news as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has confirmed that the state has a new gray wolf pack in Tulare County. This is the Golden State’s southernmost wolf pack and is at least 200 miles by plane from the nearest known pack in northeastern California.

In July, CDFW received a wolf sighting report from a location in the Sequoia National Forest. CDFW investigated the location and found wolf tracks and other signs of wolf presence, and collected 12 scat and hair samples from the immediate area for genetic testing. CDFW’s Wildlife Forensics Laboratory performed DNA analysis to determine if the samples were from a wolf, as well as their sex, coat color, individual identity, relation to one another, and pack origin.

All 12 samples were confirmed gray wolves. The new pack consists of at least five individuals not previously detected in California, including one adult female, who is a direct descendant of California’s first documented wolf in the state in recent history, (OR7), and four offspring (two females and two males). None of the samples collected came from an adult male, however, the genetic profile from the offspring indicate that the breeding male is a descendant of the Lassen Pack.

Gray wolves are native to California but were sadly exterminated in the state by the 1920s. In late 2011, OR7 crossed the state line to become the first wolf in nearly a century to make California part of his range before returning to Oregon to form the Rogue Pack.

“The #RelistWolves Campaign is excited to learn about the recently confirmed wolf pack in Tulare County, California. This is an incredibly encouraging step towards broader wolf recovery. Given this is the second pack established in California this year alone, it is clear that the state’s protection measures are working and we hope to see other states follow suit,” said Leslie Williams and Samantha Attwood, founding members of the #RelistWolves Campaign.

Wolves are protected under the California Endangered Species Act and are also protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act only in certain states.

While it is illegal to intentionally kill or harm wolves in California, states like Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming have passed legislation that encourages the slaughter of up to 90% of their wolf populations.

Please TAKE ACTION by asking your representatives to put pressure on Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and President Biden to #RelistWolves HERE!