A gray wolf was documented in Los Angeles County early Saturday morning, marking the first confirmed appearance of the species in the county in approximately 100 years, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The sighting highlights the continued natural recovery of gray wolves in California, which have returned to the state without any human-led reintroduction efforts.
Wildlife officials said the wolf was observed at around 6 a.m. Saturday and identified as a three-year-old female known as BEY03F from the Yowlumni Pack, accoridng to the Los Angeles Times.
Data from the CDFW Wolf Tracker map shows the pack’s most recent location in the mountainous area north of Santa Clarita as of February 9, 2026, after traveling south through Kern County.
As of Monday, BEY03F was believed to be in the Mount Pinos area, based on data from a GPS collar fitted last spring, officials said.
Axel Hunnicutt, the gray wolf coordinator for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, told the LA Times that the animal’s continued movement suggests she has not yet established a permanent range and may still be searching for suitable habitat or a potential mate.
The Yowlumni Pack is based in Tulare County, and officials said the wolf dispersed from that area roughly a week before entering Los Angeles County.
Gray Wolves in California
Gray wolves were once widespread across California but were extirpated from the state by the 1920s due to extensive hunting and habitat loss.
After decades of absence, wolves began naturally recolonizing California in 2011 by dispersing from populations in neighboring states. The first confirmed pack, the Shasta Pack, was documented in 2015 but is no longer active.
Since then, wolf numbers have slowly increased. Wildlife officials estimate that at least 60 wolves are currently present in California, with nine confirmed packs across Northern and Central California and additional individual wolves believed to be traveling beyond known pack territories.
Gray wolves remain one of the most protected species in California. They are listed as endangered under both the federal Endangered Species Act and the California Endangered Species Act and are also classified as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need under the state’s wildlife planning framework.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife continues to monitor wolf movements using GPS collars, field investigations, and verified public reports.
5 years since a wolf was killed on the I-5 by Lebec at the LA / Kern county line.