SoCal is known for its many striking landscapes as well as for its diverse and mesmerizing wildlife, from bald eagles soaring over a lake to coyotes roaming on a hill, and even tarantulas casually crossing a hiking trail.
But this sighting truly marks a milestone in the region’s history. For the first time in more than a century, a gray wolf has been confirmed in Los Angeles County. The three-year-old female was detected near the mountains in Lancaster last Saturday morning, around 6 AM, making it the southernmost point a wolf has reached in California in modern times.
As reported by KTLA, the wolf was born in NorCal in 2023 and has spent the last few years roaming the state. Since leaving her original pack, she’s traveled more than 370 miles, weaving through the Sierra Nevada, passing near Bakersfield, and even crossing major highways along the way. Her arrival in L.A. County suggests she’s still searching, either for a mate, new territory, or both.
As of the latest tracking data, the wolf appeared to be moving through the San Gabriel Mountains, an area that doesn’t currently have any known wolf packs. From there, she could continue south, loop back north, or settle somewhere nearby if conditions are right.
Gray wolves were eliminated from California 100 years ago due to hunting and trapping, with the last known wild wolf in the state killed in 1924. The return of these animals to the state began in 2011, when a lone wolf crossed the border from Oregon. Since then, the population has slowly grown, with around 60 wolves now believed to live in the state.