{"id":454517,"date":"2026-09-05T13:10:55","date_gmt":"2026-09-05T13:10:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/454517\/"},"modified":"2026-09-05T13:10:55","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T13:10:55","slug":"rare-gray-wolf-in-lake-county-sparks-hopes-of-ca-comeback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/454517\/","title":{"rendered":"Rare gray wolf in Lake County sparks hopes of CA comeback"},"content":{"rendered":"

The recent sighting of an endangered gray wolf in northern Lake County has energized wildlife experts who say the animal\u2019s arrival marks a crucial development for the species\u2019 recovery in California, nearly a century after wolves disappeared from the state.<\/p>\n

The wolf was spotted Aug. 25 or 26 in the Mendocino National Forest, west of Interstate 5 and far from the established packs in California\u2019s northeastern counties. The location represents a potentially important expansion into territory where wolves have been absent for generations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is incredibly exciting news \u2014 the news we in wolf recovery for decades have been waiting for,\u201d said Amaroq Weiss, a former senior wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. \u201cFor it to get to the west side of I-5, where we know is the best habitat in the state.\u201d<\/p>\n

So far, it is the only confirmed sighting of the animal west of the Sacramento Valley, said Axel Hunnicutt, state gray wolf coordinator for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife\u2019s Wildlife Diversity Program. But it is a sign, Hunnicutt said, that the wolf is still dispersing and looking for other wolves.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fact that there is a wolf over there is a sign that they\u2019re continuing to expand their range,\u201d Hunnicutt said. \u201cEvidence of wolves in that part of the state is a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gray wolves were wiped out in California by the 1920s and remained absent for decades before beginning a natural return to the state. A wolf known as OR-7 crossed into California from Oregon in 2011, and the Shasta Pack became the state\u2019s first modern wolf pack in 2015.<\/p>\n

\"OR-93, OR-93, an Oregon gray wolf tracked by GPS collar into California, is seen in February 2021 after crossing into Yosemite National Park. Like the wolf recently spotted in northern Lake County, OR-93 demonstrated how far dispersing wolves can travel beyond established pack territories. California Department of Fish an <\/p>\n

The wolves returned on their own rather than through a government reintroduction program. As of July, state wildlife officials counted a minimum of 50 wolves in 11 confirmed packs.<\/p>\n

Why Interstate 5 crossing matters<\/p>\n

Most of that recovery has taken place east of Interstate 5, making the Lake County sighting particularly significant, experts say.<\/p>\n

Interstate 5 is a dangerous barrier for gray wolves navigating their way south from Oregon or west from established packs in California\u2019s far northeastern counties. Natural and human-made barriers, from freeways and other infrastructure to traffic and development, further complicate their journey south and west.<\/p>\n

Getting across the interstate could open substantially different habitat. West of Interstate 5, the wolves can find an abundance of elk and other natural prey, experts say, with fewer conflicts with humans or livestock than in northeastern California\u2019s cattle country.<\/p>\n

The sighting also is evidence, advocates say, of the legal protections that have helped gray wolves recover after they were nearly eradicated from the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe recovery entails so much more than population,\u201d said Shannon Labuschagne, an associate attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. \u201cIt\u2019s moving toward a more resilient future. It\u2019s an encouraging sign of the recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A A California Department of Fish and Wildlife map from July 2026 shows known gray wolf pack territories concentrated in northeastern California, largely east of Interstate 5. The recent sighting in northern Lake County occurred well west of those established packs, in the Mendocino National Forest. The map does not show dispersing wolves, whose movements can range far beyond established territories. California Department of Fish an <\/p>\n

It\u2019s unknown whether the wolf traveled from Oregon, following traditional routes along the Cascade Range into California, or whether it separated from established California packs, such as the Whaleback pack of central and eastern Siskiyou County<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could have come from anywhere, but it is exciting. Mendocino and Lake counties have more diversity of elk and deer. There are only a few dispersing wolves to the west and leaving a scent trail for other wolves,\u201d said Susan Dewar, president of the Rocklin-based California Wolf Foundation<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s a new geography that hasn\u2019t realized that wolves are returning to the state. It\u2019s a good time to help elevate and resolve conflicts in those new areas.\u201d<\/p>\n

The wolf\u2019s movement into new territory also brings the possibility of conflicts with ranchers who have had little recent experience with the predators.<\/p>\n

Mendocino County officials discussed the wolf at a Sept. 1 Board of Supervisors meeting, where Supervisor Madeline Cline said the California Department of Fish and Wildlife had confirmed its presence. Agricultural Commissioner Angela Godwin said her office was exploring a bi-county wolf task force to prepare for potential livestock predation.<\/p>\n

White House orders review of wolf protections<\/p>\n

The local concerns come as the federal government is reconsidering protections for wolves nationwide.<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump issued an executive order Friday directing the Interior secretary<\/a> to determine within 90 days whether gray wolves and Mexican wolves have met recovery criteria for removing or reducing their protections under the federal Endangered Species Act. If the secretary determines the criteria have been met, the order directs the department to begin that process.<\/p>\n

The order, titled \u201cSupporting America\u2019s Ranchers,\u201d also directs federal officials to consider changes to criteria for authorizing lethal removal of wolves that threaten livestock or human safety. It calls for a review of federal programs that compensate producers for livestock losses attributed to wolves.<\/p>\n

The executive order does not itself remove the gray wolf\u2019s federal endangered species protections. Wolves also are protected separately under California\u2019s Endangered Species Act.<\/p>\n

Beyond potential conflicts with livestock, the wolf\u2019s arrival has raised concerns among advocates about the roads and more populated communities it could encounter if it continues moving south.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve heard some fears that it could come to areas more densely populated,\u201d wolf advocate Weiss said.<\/p>\n

\"A A remote trail camera captured one of two gray wolves believed to be living in Lassen County in 2020. California\u2019s returning wolves have largely established themselves in the northeastern part of the state, making the recent sighting in northern Lake County significant. California Department of Fish an <\/p>\n

\u201cRoads can be deadly for wolves. People feed them and they get acclimated. It\u2019s really important that if people see them to leave them alone, leave them alive, and leave them safe,\u201d Weiss continued. \u201cThe hope is that, because it\u2019s in northern coastal California, where there\u2019s a higher density of elk, they will find them abundant and will prey there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The arrival also comes as the federal government is reconsidering protections for the species nationwide.<\/p>\n

But these are early days for the gray wolf west of the interstate. State wildlife experts are still determining what the discovery means for the species\u2019 comeback in California.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt might be a once-off, or, the start of something where we see more and more wolves,\u201d said Hunnicutt, the state gray wolf coordinator. He said state fish and wildlife teams continue their work alongside Mendocino National Forest experts to learn more about the endangered wolf.<\/p>\n

For now, the sighting leaves wildlife officials watching to see whether the wolf continues its journey alone \u2014 or whether its path west eventually will be followed by others.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very excited to learn the origin story of this individual, what their journey was like. It\u2019s a journey that\u2019s incredibly perilous,\u201d Labuschagne said. \u201cThey are able to establish territories, build a pack, raise their young, while having to navigate natural barriers, man-made barriers. It\u2019s something that\u2019s very moving.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Darrell Smith<\/a><\/p>\n

The Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n

Darrell Smith is a local reporter for The Sacramento Bee. He joined The Bee in 2006 and previously worked at newspapers in Palm Springs, Colorado Springs and Marysville. Smith was born and raised at Beale Air Force Base and lives in Elk Grove.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The recent sighting of an endangered gray wolf in northern Lake County has energized wildlife experts who say…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":454518,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[121,123,122],"class_list":["post-454517","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sacramento","tag-sacramento","tag-sacramento-headlines","tag-sacramento-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/454517","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=454517"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/454517\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/454518"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=454517"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=454517"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=454517"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}