Cash, a one-year-old gray wolf, and one of his brothers look on after they tipped over a barrel with the Philadelphia Eagles logo on it and decided which team they support in the upcoming Super Bowl LIX on Friday, February 7, 2025, at Memphis Zoo.
San Francisco, California – California wildlife officials have confirmed the formation of three new gray wolf packs, signaling continued progress in the species’ recovery nearly a century after hunters wiped them out from the state.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced Tuesday that the Ishi pack in eastern Tehama County, the Tunnison pack in central Lassen County, and the Ashpan pack in east Shasta County have been identified as established groups. This update brings the total number of known wolf packs in the state to 10, though only seven are currently active.
Once native to California, gray wolves (Canis lupus) were driven to extinction in the state by the 1920s due to hunting and habitat loss. Their return began in 2011, when a lone radio-collared wolf known as OR-7 traveled into California from Oregon. Since then, wolves have re-entered the state naturally and gradually established breeding groups.
“It’s inspiring to watch this renaissance, and we should do everything we can to ensure California’s wolves have every chance to thrive,” said Amaroq Weiss, a senior wolf advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity.
Today, California has an estimated 50 known wolves, up slightly from 49 at the end of 2023. The modest increase comes despite the birth of 30 pups in spring 2024, raising concerns among experts about potential threats to the species’ long-term growth.
The CDFW’s latest report—covering activity from October to December 2024—also notes new wolf activity in five Northern California counties: Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, and Tehama. These sightings involve smaller groups of two to three wolves that may later form new packs.
Meanwhile, some existing packs have changed. The Beckwourth pack has disappeared, and the Antelope pack has merged with the Beyem Seyo pack. California’s confirmed packs now include Lassen, Whaleback, Diamond, Beyem Seyo, Ice Cave, Harvey, and Yowlumni.
Not everyone is welcoming the return of wolves. Some ranchers and rural communities are reporting an increase in wolf activity near their homes and livestock. In a letter to CDFW, Lassen County Sheriff John McGarva warned that wolves had killed six calves in March and were showing “atypical” behavior by approaching residential areas.
Despite such concerns, gray wolves remain fully protected under both state and federal endangered species laws. Killing a wolf in California is illegal.
“Strong legal protections for California’s wolves ensure that state wolf management doesn’t devolve into disturbing and unscientific wolf-killing sprees like we see in the Northern Rockies,” said Weiss. “These animals are essential to healthy, wild nature and a welcome part of our state’s natural heritage.”
