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California at a glance
Wolf OR7, after dispersing to California, eventually returned to Oregon – Richard Shinn, DFG
Gray wolves once existed throughout much of California; however, removal began shortly after European settlement. They were gone from the landscape in the early 1900s and it stayed that way until 2011 when, in December, wolf OR7 stepped into the state. His sighting in the state was the first confirmed gray wolf sighting there since 1924.
In 2015, biologists discovered a wolf pack in northern California – the Shasta pack, the first in over 100 years. Wolves are now returning to California on their own by dispersal of individuals from populations in other states, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Another pack, known as the Lassen Pack, was found to have produced three pups in 2017. They were captured on trail cameras operated by the United States Forest Service. That pack produced a litter in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. This story sheds light on their 2020 litter.
The State of California is not intentionally reintroducing wolves. Any wolf that enters California is protected as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act.
For more information on California’s wolves, visit this link.
People who see gray wolves in California are asked to report the sighting here.
Species Information
Current Wolf Population, Trend, Status
Members of the Shasta Pack are pictured in this image taken by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Number of wolves: Estimated at 10 to 15
Population trend: Slowly increasing
Legal status: Wolves in California are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Human Relationships
Attitudes and Issues
- Siskiyou County ranchers on edge over wolf encounters (from 2015)
- Frequently asked questions about wolves
History
Recovery and Management
Information related to legal status, hunting and trapping regulations and management plans and practices in California.
- California’s final wolf plan – Part 1, December 2016
- California’s final wolf plan – Part 2, December 2016
- California’s known wolves – past and present
- California’s known wolves – past and present (updated 2021)
- Los Angeles Times article: New family of gray wolves found in Northern California
Depredation
- Options for California livestock producers to discourage wolf presence and guidance for suspected wolf depredation
- Wolves kill heifer in California in the first confirmed death of livestock by wolves (from November 2017)
Ecology
Biology
