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100 years ago, gray wolves roamed most of North America. However, back in the 1920s, despite being native to the area gray wolves were hunted and trapped to extinction. Now the wolves have slowly been making a comeback to several western states. In California specifically, it has only been in the past decade or so that a few gray wolves have wandered back into the state from other out-of-state packs.
Now just last month, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), received reports of a wolf sighting in the Sequoia National Forest in Tulare County, California. The surprise sighting led wildlife technicians to investigate, as this was nowhere near the next nearest known pack of wolves.
The researchers found tracks and collected scat and fur samples for testing. Ultimately, they concluded that this is a new pack of endangered Gray Wolves roaming the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The new pack consists of a mother and her four offspring, two male and two female. This is the furthest south a pack of wolves has been seen in California in over a century.
The new pack of wolves is about 200 miles from the next nearest pack located in Lassen Park. This brings the total number of wolf packs in California to three, with the third know pack also located in northern California.
How did the new pack get there?
DNA testing discovered that the mother is a direct descendant of another wolf known as OR7. OR7 was originally from Oregon when he became the first wolf spotted in California in 90 years when he crossed into the state in 2011. He later traveled back to Oregon when he couldn’t find a mate and started his pack consisting of him, his mate, and two offspring. Now it appears one of those offspring has ventured south again with a pack of their own.
Researchers were unable to confirm an adult male to be part of the pack. However, the genetic profiles of the offspring suggest the father is part of the Lassen Park pack. This would lead most to presume that the full circle includes the wolf traveling from Oregon into California, mating with a Lassen Park wolf, then continuing further south with its own pack.
Gray wolves are part of the Endangered Species Act. They are protected by state and federal law, and it is illegal to hurt or kill them.
The discovery of new wolf packs is widely celebrated by wildlife advocates. Researchers have long advocated for protecting wolves, arguing they are vital to the overall health of the ecosystem. If that is the case, then California just got healthier. Conservationists are hoping that trend continues.
