California Surpasses 50 Confirmed Wolves, 10 Wolf Packs in Annual Report
After being wiped out a century ago, gray wolves have made a remarkable return to California, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has released an annual report detailing their progress.
As of the end of 2024, at least 50 wolves were confirmed in the state, living in seven known packs and four other groups. By spring 2025, three more packs were confirmed, bringing the total to 10 wolf families across the state — mostly in Northern California, with one surprising appearance near Sequoia National Forest.
The 2024 report marks a shift from quarterly to annual updates and covers everything from population growth to health risks and livestock conflicts. Since wolves began returning in 2011 — led by the famed OR-7 from Oregon — CDFW has documented 21 litters of pups, nine known mortalities, and several new packs, including the Yowlumni, Harvey, and Ice Cave Packs.
Among the key takeaways:
- Five packs were counted as breeding pairs in 2024, including the Whaleback, Harvey, Beyem Seyo, Yowlumni, and Ice Cave packs.
- Two previously unreported wolf deaths — from the Lassen and Whaleback packs — were revealed in this year’s report.
- The Ashpan Pack, first confirmed in 2025, appears to include descendants of the Whaleback Pack, adding to California’s evolving wolf family tree.
“California’s decade of the wolf demonstrates that when essential legal protections are in place, there can be comeback stories for desperately imperiled animals,” said Amaroq Weiss of the Center for Biological Diversity.
With legal protections in place under both state and federal endangered species acts, wolf advocates say this moment is worth celebrating — and protecting.
