California Wildlife Officials Scale Back Search for Two Wolves Linked to Major Livestock Losses
Wildlife officials have scaled back efforts to capture two remaining juvenile gray wolves linked to a surge of livestock deaths in Northern California’s Sierra Valley last summer.
The wolves are believed to be the last uncaptured members of the Beyem Seyo pack, which was responsible for killing or injuring at least 92 cows and calves over a seven-month stretch in 2025, according to researchers with University of California, Davis. The losses were concentrated in Sierra and Plumas counties and marked one of the most severe livestock conflicts involving a single wolf pack in the western U.S.
In October, California Department of Fish and Wildlife euthanized four wolves from the pack after months of unsuccessful deterrence efforts that included drones, field patrols, flagging and non-lethal munitions. The agency planned to capture and relocate the final two juveniles, but officials now say those efforts have been reduced after weeks without safe opportunities to locate or approach the animals.
State officials say the pack became unusually habituated to preying on cattle, a behavior that raised concerns it could spread to future generations of wolves. While gray wolves primarily hunt wild prey like deer and elk, experts say repeated access to unprotected livestock can alter that behavior.
California’s gray wolves remain fully protected under state law and the federal Endangered Species Act. Roughly 70 wolves statewide were linked to about 175 livestock deaths last year, with the Beyem Seyo pack responsible for roughly half of them.
The conflict has reignited debate over how California should balance wolf recovery with ranching. Some livestock advocates are calling for designated zones that allow lethal control of problem wolves, while conservation groups argue that killing wolves often worsens conflicts rather than solving them.
