The pups of the Shasta Pack in California. Image Source: CDFW.
Trail cameras near the one which captured evidence of a lone wolf in Siskiyou County, California, in May and July have recorded evidence of five pups, which appear to be a few months old, and two adults. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has christened the group the Shasta Pack.
Because of the proximity to the original trail camera locations, it is likely that the adult photographed in May and June is a member of this family group.
“This news is exciting for California,” said Charlton H. Bonham, CDFW director. “We knew wolves would eventually return home to the state and it appears now is the time.”
California has not had a wild wolf population since the early 1900s. OR-7, a male wolf dispersing from Oregon, briefly passed through California in late 2011, but eventually left the state and is now the breeding male of the Rogue Pack in southern Oregon.
Gray wolves are listed as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act (as of 2014) and are also listed as endangered under the Federal Endangered Species Act. Gray wolves in California are protected by both these laws, making it illegal to harass, harm, hunt or kill them in that state.
The CDFW is completing a draft wolf management plan for the state and will release it soon.
The original article may be found here.
