California’s Newly-Discovered Wolf Pack Receives a Name with Native American Roots

The wolf pack that made headlines this summer in Tulare County has been given an official name: the Yowlumni Pack. Discovered in the Sequoia National Forest near the ancestral lands and reservation of the Tule River Tribe of California, this name symbolizes a deep connection to the region’s Native American heritage.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) proudly partnered with the Tribe to formally name the pack. The term “Yowlumni” is derived from the Yowlumni band of the Tule River Yokuts, a name preserved through generations.

“This was described by my mother, Agnes Vera, who was born on the Tule River Indian Reservation in 1926,” said Vernon Vera, a Tule River Tribal Elder. “She was the last fluent speaker of Yowlumni until her passing in 2010. She taught that the Yowlumni were speakers of the ‘Wolf Tongue.’”

CDFW expressed gratitude for the Tribe’s collaboration in naming the Yowlumni Pack, which highlights the pack’s cultural importance in the region.

In recent months, CDFW diligently collected DNA samples and worked to collar wolves in the Yowlumni Pack. On December 5, they successfully captured and collared an adult female wolf, approximately 7-8 years old and weighing 85 lbs. Monitoring her movements will provide valuable insights into the pack’s behavior, habitat use, potential conflicts with livestock, and other essential data.

Contrary to initial reports, CDFW discovered that the Yowlumni Pack comprises a breeding pair and six pups, not the previously reported four.

For more information about California’s wolves, including details about existing packs, wolf biology, livestock conflicts, and CDFW’s wolf management plan, visit wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Mammals/Gray-Wolf.