A Lone Wolf’s Journey into Los Angeles County Signals Historic Return
A female gray wolf arrived in Los Angeles County on Saturday morning, marking the first documented presence of the apex predator in the area in at least a century, according to state wildlife officials.
The 3-year-old wolf, identified as BEY03F, was observed around 6 a.m. In the mountains north of Santa Clarita, reported Axel Hunnicutt, gray wolf coordinator for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Just four hours earlier, she had been traversing the desert south of Kern County.
Hunnicutt explained that BEY03F is equipped with a GPS collar, which was fitted last May when she was part of the Yowlumni Pack in Tulare County. She dispersed from that pack approximately a week ago, and her journey continues.
“Her journey isn’t over,” Hunnicutt said.
BEY03F is currently seeking a mate, and her continued movement suggests she hasn’t yet found a suitable partner or habitat.
Born in 2023 in Plumas County’s Beyem Seyo Pack, BEY03F has traveled more than 370 miles, traversing the length of the Sierra Nevada to reach her current location. Her travels have not been without risk; she crossed State Route 59 three times near Tehachapi just two days prior to arriving in Los Angeles County.
John Marchwick, a writer for the nonprofit California Wolf Watch, described the event as a “historic moment in the return of wolves” to California. He credited the state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s monitoring efforts and the animal’s protection under the state Endangered Species Act as key factors enabling the documentation of her dispersal and making it realistically feasible.
California’s wolf population was eradicated by hunters and trappers roughly a century ago, with the last wild wolf reportedly shot in 1924.
The return of wolves began in 2011 when a wolf from Oregon briefly entered the state. While that wolf did not remain, its arrival signaled the potential for a comeback.
Currently, there are believed to be at least 60 wolves roaming California.
The future for BEY03F remains uncertain. While no wolves are currently known to inhabit the San Gabriel Mountains or the Tehachapi Mountains, the possibility exists that a male could be present. If she encounters and mates with a male, she could establish a pack. Alternatively, she may return north along the Sierra Nevada, potentially traveling hundreds of miles further.
Hunnicutt cautioned that the more BEY03F moves, the greater her risk of encountering human infrastructure, particularly highways. Vehicle strikes are currently the leading known cause of wolf mortality in California. OR-93, another wolf who traveled into San Luis Obispo County in 2021, was killed by a vehicle in Kern County.
