4 California wolves have been exterminated, but there’s a new pack in town

California wildlife officials have confirmed there is a new wolf pack in the northern part of the state, as the endangered canid’s population — and the number of animals they prey on — continues to grow.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported this week that a freshly potted grizzly pack was roaming southern Plumas County and contained at least two adults and one cub.

The pack consists of a male wolf from Oregon and a female from the state of Leeson. Recently, state wildlife officials also received photographs of a wolf cub believed to be theirs.

The news comes on the heels of last month’s behemoth save-pack deaths, when the Department of Fish and Wildlife killed four wolves that had killed large numbers of livestock in the Sierra Valley — the first time in nearly a century that state officials had taken lethal action against animals.

“As difficult as it was to make that decision, from a conservation perspective, the population data we’re getting suggests the population is growing and strong,” said Axel Honeycutt, gray wolf coordinator for the agency. The move came after a month-long campaign to promote the use of non-lethal contraception, he said.

The Beim Save Pack moved into a new area in October, and the new wolves moved quickly to their old location, a sign that the population is strong, he said.

With one bag gained and one bag lost, the state’s total remains at 10.

There are an estimated 50 to 70 wolves in the Golden State. Although this is a relatively small number, it represents an amazing recovery for the apex predator, which was hunted in the 1920s and is on the verge of extinction. Wolves began repopulating 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 that packs are forming, Hunnicutt said. At least 31 puppies were also born in California this year, although some died, and the mortality rate is generally high in the first year of life. The Welbeck pack, in eastern Siskiyou County, had 10 cubs this year — a record for the species, Hunnicutt said. The next breeding season will come in the spring.

Most current packs only have two wolves that are fairly young, meaning they may not breed in their first year. This creates “a delay,” he explained.

“So what I suspect is that we’re not going to see a lot of growth this year, or it may be steady,” he said. But within a year or two, “probably the bulk of these groups will breed and produce six to 10 chicks.”

The recovery of wolves is celebrated by conservationists who want to see the native animal thrive. However, the growing number of wolves has plagued ranchers who are losing their livestock.

Beam Save Pack was responsible for killing or injuring 88 animals, which Hannicott called an “unprecedented” number. Not all wolves in the state follow the cows, however. He noted that there are many farms in the state that are not close to animals.

“California’s wolf recovery is on a very good track in terms of population,” said Amarok Weiss, senior wolf advocate with the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity.

The fact that things have “moved on” with wolves spreading and packs changing is a good thing, she said.

“You want that dynamic to continue in the developing population,” she said.

Weiss sees the recovery of wolves as a testament to their protection under the California and federal Endangered Species Act.

She said there are three bills pending in the U.S. Congress, however, that would roll back federal protections, including one that would make wolves statewide endangered.

In 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisted most wolves in the Lower 48. Weiss’ organization sued, and the next year a federal district court in California removed it from the list. In September 2024, the federal wildlife agency appealed the decision.

If wolves are federally exterminated, they will retain their state protections.