Five Gray Wolves Collared To Track Expanding Packs: Watch

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — Wildlife officials fitted tracking collars on five gray wolves in Northern California to monitor the state’s growing wolf population, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said. A sixth wolf, a young female, died in the process.

Crews captured the wolves by helicopter between Jan. 12 and Jan. 20 in Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, and Tehama counties. The animals belong to the Whaleback and Harvey wolf packs, according to CDFW.

CDFW teams used aerial capture operations to locate, secure, and collar the wolves as part of an ongoing effort to track movements, monitor health, and reduce the risk of wolf–livestock conflict as wolves continue to repopulate the region.

After capture, crews transported each wolf to a nearby field processing site, where biologists fitted the animal with a satellite/VHF collar and collected biological data, including body measurements, DNA, and blood samples. Crews then released the wolves on public land as close as possible to their capture locations.

One of five gray wolves collared and released in order to track members of the Harvey pack. Photo: California Department of Fish and Wildlife

The collared wolves included an adult male born into the Whaleback pack in northern Lassen County that returned to its natal pack after release, an adult male from the Harvey pack whose existing collar was replaced, and three Harvey pack females born and captured in Lassen and Shasta counties.

CDFW officials said a sixth wolf, an adult female from the Harvey pack, died during the capture. The agency is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death, noting that capturing wildlife can have risks for the animals.

A gray wolf after being collared awaits release. Video: California Department of Fish and Wildlife

The satellite collars collect multiple location points each day and generally transmit stored data to CDFW once daily. The collars do not provide real-time tracking and are designed to drop off after about two to three years, before the batteries are depleted.

Over the past decade, CDFW has captured and collared 38 gray wolves statewide. Thirteen wolves currently carry active collars. Location data from the newly collared wolves began appearing within days on CDFW’s public Wolf Tracker map, which shows general wolf movements across California.

Although they are one of California's most iconic species, gray wolves were nearly eradicated a century ago. The first wolf to migrate back to California was in 2011, marking the first wild wolf in the Golden State in more than 100 years. The reemergence of wolves is a significant but disruptive change for the rurual communities around them.

Wildlife officials and nearby ranchers believe wolves from the Harvey Pack may be responsible for recent attacks on livestock.

In late 2025, the the CDFW killed four gray wolves believed to have attacked cattle while venturing near homes and people in a valley between Sacramento and Reno. The four belonged to the Beyem Seyo pack, one of 10 in California.

A gray wolf collared and released in January. Photo: California Department of Fish and Wildlife

The five wolves collared during the February 2026 operation included:

• An adult male captured in northern Lassen County that was born into the Whaleback pack. Following release, collar data showed that the wolf returned to its natal Whaleback pack.
• A previously collared, "dispersing" adult male (a wolf that leaves its birth pack to establish a new territory and find a mate) from the Harvey pack that was captured in Modoc County. His collar was replaced.
• A Harvey pack female born in 2024 and captured in northwestern Lassen County.
• Two Harvey pack females born in 2025 and captured in northwestern Shasta County.

Read more about the ongoing efforts to resettle wolves in Califronia:
Wolves Maul Horse, Calf On Ranch Near Playground, Sheriff Pleads For Help

CA Kills Wolfpack Living Off Livestock, Signaling Golden State Wildlife Dilemma

Gray Wolf Dies After 'Epic' California Trek

California Department of Fish and Wildlife adjust a collar on a sedated gray wolf. Video: California Department of Fish and Wildlife

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