California wildlife officials kill 4 wolves after record livestock attacks in Sierra Valley

By Cecilio Padilla

Wildlife managers have euthanized four gray wolves in California after an unprecedented number of livestock attacks in recent months, officials say.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the action Friday, revealing that the wolves removed were from the Beyem Seyo pack in the Sierra Valley that managers have been tracking.

Officials say the action comes after months of attacks on livestock, including 70 recorded losses attributed to wolves from March to September.

Another 17 losses were deemed either confirmed or probable from wolf attacks by wildlife managers from September to October.

Non-lethal deterrents – like drones, bean bags, and ATVs – have been attempted, but wildlife managers say wolves have continued to hunt cattle.

“This decision was not made lightly nor was it easy,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham in a statement.

Several of California’s northern counties – including Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Sierra and Shasta – declared local states of emergency due to the increasing reports of wolf encounters with livestock.

Gray wolves disappeared from California around 100 years ago, but wildlife managers have been tracking packs that naturally returned to the state around 2011.

With gray wolves classified as endangered in California, it is illegal to intentionally kill them unless someone’s life is in danger.

“Coexistence is our collective future but that comes with tremendous responsibility and sometimes hard decisions,” Bonham stated.

Around 50 to 70 wolves are believed to call California home as of 2025, according to CDFW numbers.