Gray Wolf Spotted in California Forest for First Time Since Species Returned
A gray wolf has been confirmed in California’s Mendocino National Forest, marking the first verified sighting there since wolves returned to the state 15 years ago.
State wildlife officials said the animal was reported in late August near the area where Mendocino, Glenn and Lake counties meet. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife received two separate reports, including photographs of the wolf.
Wildlife specialists later visited the area and confirmed tracks matching the animal.
Alicia de la Garza, deputy director of public affairs for the department, said a wolf biologist examined the photographs, surveyed the location and verified tracks at one of the reported sighting sites.
The discovery is considered significant because it suggests gray wolves are continuing to expand into new parts of California.
Wolves disappeared from the state roughly a century ago after widespread hunting and persecution by settlers. The species returned naturally in 2011 and has gradually established itself again, particularly in remote areas of northeastern California.
At least 50 wolves have now been documented in the state.
The Mendocino National Forest sighting is especially notable because it is believed to be the first confirmed wolf recorded west of the Sacramento Valley since the species returned.
Axel Hunnicutt, California’s gray wolf coordinator, described evidence of wolves moving into that part of the state as a positive development and an indication that their geographic range may be growing.
The wolves’ comeback, however, has also created tension with ranchers, particularly when the predators attack cattle or other livestock.
Gray wolves are protected under California law and, in much of the United States, under the federal Endangered Species Act. Those protections sharply restrict when wolves can be killed.
The debate over their legal status has intensified after President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Interior Department to examine removing federal protections for gray wolves and easing restrictions on lethal control when livestock are threatened.
Federal efforts to remove the wolf from the endangered species list have faced legal challenges, and protections currently remain in place across much of the lower 48 states following a 2022 federal court ruling.
Conservation organizations have criticized attempts to weaken those protections, arguing that continued safeguards are necessary for recovering wolf populations.
For wildlife officials, the latest sighting in Mendocino National Forest provides another indication that wolves are gradually reclaiming territory in California after being absent from the state for generations.