Gray wolf travels to Los Angeles County, marking southernmost track in modern California history
A 3-year-old female gray wolf fitted with a GPS collar has traveled nearly the length of the Sierra Nevada, marking the farthest south the species has been tracked since returning to California.
A 3-year-old gray wolf known as BEY03F seen in Tulare County. (Image credit:California Department of Fish and Wildlife)
A 3-year-old gray wolf may be roaming in Los Angeles County in search of a mate — a major milestone for a species that was wiped out in California a century ago.
The black-coated female was born in Plumas County in 2023 and was fitted with a GPS collar by California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) teams in May 2025. She traveled with the Yowlumni pack in Tulare County for about eight months in 2025 before heading out on her own.
Wildlife officials said the wolf, known as BEY03F, was detected on remote cameras in Tulare County. More recently, GPS tracking data showed the wolf in Los Angeles County, though there have been no confirmed physical sightings there. On Tuesday, the state wolf tracker map showed a ping in Kern County.
According to the state wolf coordinator, breeding season occurs in February, and wolves can travel hundreds, even thousands, of miles in search of a mate.
“This wolf would have traveled nearly the entire length of the Sierra Nevada over the last year or so, and her journey isn’t over,” the state wolf coordinator said.
A 3-year-old gray wolf known as BEY03F seen in Tulare County, California. (Image credit:California Department of Fish and Wildlife)
According to California’s annual gray wolf report, wolves were extirpated in the state by 1924 and naturally returned in 2011. By the end of 2024, the population had grown to seven packs, with at least 50 wolves.
Most gray wolf activity remains concentrated in Northern California. In 2023, the Yowlumni pack in the southern Sierra in Tulare County became the first pack established outside northeastern California, according to the state report.
The 3-year-old female is the farthest south a gray wolf has been tracked in California since the return of the species.
Wildlife officials say the greatest threat to wolves in California is vehicle collisions. Because wolves travel long distances and frequently cross major highways, they face a heightened risk of being struck by cars.
Report a Typo
