New Wolf Pack Confirmed In California’s Tehama County Marks The Fifth Pack In The State In Nearly 100 Years

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed that photographs of three wolves were captured on trail cameras recently in Tehama County. The trio marks the fifth potential pack in nearly 100 years to establish itself in the state.

“This is incredible news for wolf recovery in California,” said Amaroq Weiss, senior wolf advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity. “These beautiful newcomers are proving that California has a lot of great habitat for wolves, as scientists have said all along.”

Photographs of the three wolves were taken in late March by trail cameras on a private ranch located in Tehama County. The agency will be scouting the area to look for evidence to determine their origin. Typically, if scat left by the animals can be collected and DNA-tested, test results can identify if each animal is male or female and whether they are related to California’s other wolf families.

California currently has three existing wolf packs — the Lassen pack confirmed in 2017, the Whaleback pack confirmed in late 2020 to early 2021, and the Beckwourth pack confirmed in spring of 2021. California’s only other known wolf pack in modern times, the Shasta pack, was confirmed in summer 2015 but disappeared a few months later.

Late spring-early summer is the time of year when the department can determine if any of these wolf families has denned, signaling the potential for pups to be born. It has yet to be seen whether this new trio of wolves will have pups this year.

“It’s been two years since any new pack was confirmed, so learning of these three wolves in completely new territory is especially joyful news,” said Weiss. “We have so few wolves that every new pack is something to celebrate.”

“The #RelistWolves Campaign is thrilled to hear about the confirmation of three wolves in Tehama County, California. This news highlights the potential for wolf recovery in the state and we applaud the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for their work to document these newcomers. As advocates for wolf conservation, we celebrate every new pack, and we are hopeful that this trio will be allowed to thrive and grow. Now, more than ever, continuing protection of gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act is crucial for their survival and recovery in the state,” Leslie Williams and Samantha Attwood, founding members of the #RelistWolves Campaign, told WAN.

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