California wildlife officials have confirmed there is a new wolf pack in the northern part of the state, as the population of the endangered canids (and the number of livestock they attack) continues to rise.
The newly created Grizzly pack roams southern Plumas County and consists of at least two adults and a cub, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported this week.
The pack consists of a male wolf who came from Oregon and a female from the state's Lassen pack. Recently, state wildlife officials also obtained photos of a wolf pup believed to be his.
The news comes on the heels of the disappearance of the Beyem Seyo pack last month, when the Department of Fish and Wildlife euthanized four wolves that had killed large numbers of livestock in the Sierra Valley, marking the first time in about a century that state officials had taken lethal action against the animals.
“Although it was a difficult decision to make, from a conservation standpoint, the population data we are obtaining continues to suggest that the population is growing and robust,” said Axel Hunnicutt, the agency's gray wolf coordinator. The measure was taken after a months-long campaign of using non-lethal deterrents, he said.
The Beyem Seyo pack moved to a new area in October, and new wolves quickly moved into their old territory, a sign that the population is strong, he said.
With one packet won and one lost, the state total remains at 10.
It is estimated that there are between 50 and 70 wolves in the Golden State. Although a relatively small number, it represents a surprising recovery for the top predators, which were hunted and trapped to extinction in the 1920s. Wolves began recolonizing California only 14 years ago.
New reports from the Department of Fish and Wildlife suggest more wolves are on the way.
There are two areas where wolf activity indicates packs are likely to form, Hunnicutt said. At least 31 pups were also born this year to packs in California, although some have died and mortality is generally high during the first year of life. The Whaleback pod in eastern Siskiyou County had 10 calves this year, tying a record for the species, Hunnicutt said. Another breeding season will arrive in spring.
Many of today's packs consist of only two wolves who are quite young, meaning they may not reproduce during the first year. That creates “a delay,” he explained.
“So what I suspect is that this year we might not see a massive amount of growth, or it might just be flat,” he said. But in a year or two, “probably the vast majority of these groups will breed and produce between six and ten pups.”
The recovery of the wolves is celebrated by conservationists who want to see the native animals thrive. However, the increasing number of wolves has worried ranchers, who lose livestock to them.
The Beyem Seyo herd was responsible for 88 livestock deaths or injuries, which Hunnicutt called an “unprecedented” number. However, not all wolves in the state chase cows. There are several herds in the state that are not around cattle, he noted.
“California's wolf recovery is on a pretty good trajectory, population-wise,” said Amaroq Weiss, senior wolf advocate at the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity.
The fact that things are “shaking up,” with wolves dispersing and packs changing, is a good thing, he said.
“What we want is to see that dynamism continue in an evolving population,” he said.
Weiss sees the wolves' recovery as a testament to their protection under federal and California endangered species laws.
However, there are three bills pending in the U.S. Congress that would restore federal protections, including one that would remove wolves from the endangered species list nationwide, he said.
In 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisted most wolves in the lower 48 states. Weiss's organization sued, and the following year a federal district court in California overturned the exclusion. In September 2024, the federal wildlife agency appealed the decision.
If wolves were delisted federally, they would retain their state protections.
