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A28 SCIENCE
Saturday 8 July 2017

2nd pack of gray wolves spotted in Northern California

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A
female gray wolf, her mate
and at least three pups
are the second pack of
wolves spotted in Northern
California since the species
went extinct there in 1924,
state wildlife officials said
Wednesday.
The gray pups were born
this spring in Lassen Na-
tional Forest to a female
wolf of unknown origins.
Her mate is the son of OR7,
a wolf with a tracking de-
vice that was the first of its
kind in almost a century to
migrate into California from
Oregon, the Department of
Fish and Wildlife said.
Biologists began surveying
the Lassen National For-
est area in May after they
found evidence of wolf
presence. This June 29, 2017, remote camera image released by the U.S. Forest Service shows a female gray wolf and two of the three pups
On June 30, they captured born this year in the wilds of Lassen National Forest in Northern California.
the 75-pound female gray Associated Press
wolf and fitted her with a known activity to date has in 2015. The family of seven wolves are eager to return friction with ranchers by
tracking collar, the first wolf been in western Lassen gray wolves, known as the to their native territory in learning the animal’s surviv-
collared in California. An County, which is near the Shasta Pack, hasn’t been the Golden State,” Flick al, reproduction and prey
examination revealed she eastern state line, some spotted since May 2016, added. preferences.
had recently given birth to tracks have also been con- although one of the pups State officials in 2014 grant- Gray wolves are also listed
pups. firmed in Plumas County, was detected in northwest- ed the wolf protections as endangered by the fed-
A day later, Department of officials said. ern Nevada in November under the state’s endan- eral government.q
Fish and Wildlife biologists These wolves, named the 2016, the department said. gered species act, despite
returned to the area for Lassen Pack by the U.S. For- Pamela Flick, California opposition from hunting
a follow-up check on the est Service employee who representative for Defend- and livestock groups who
female and found that a first detected their loca- ers of Wildlife, called finding fear the predator will kill
nearby trail camera oper- tion, are the second pack a new pack of gray wolves deer and valuable cattle.
ated by the U.S. Forest Ser- of gray wolves known to in the state “momentous.” Under California’s protec-
vice had captured photos be in California since they “OR-7 proved that a wolf tions, gray wolves can’t be
of the mother and pups. were killed off in the 1920s, could make the trek to killed or hunted.
The gray pups were also officials said. California. The Shasta Pack Wildlife officials said the
photographed playing in The first confirmed breeding gave us hope for wolf packs tracking collar on the Las-
front of the camera. pair in California produced here. Now the presence of sen Pack’s adult female
While most of the pack’s five pups in Siskiyou County the Lassen Pack shows that could help minimize the