For Immediate Release

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (July 6, 2017) – Late yesterday the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) confirmed a new wolf pack in California, the Lassen Pack. The new pack has at least three confirmed pups, and CDFW successfully collared the alpha female.

Pamela Flick, California representative for Defenders of Wildlife, issued the following statement:

“Considering that wolves were absent from the California landscape for nearly 90 years before OR-7 made his way here, a whole new wolf family showing up just a few years later is momentous. The presence of the Lassen Pack marks an exciting new chapter in wolf recovery in the Pacific West.

“Defenders of Wildlife is encouraged to hear that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has successfully collared the Lassen Pack’s alpha female, the first wolf ever collared by our state.

“We hope that the information gathered by the collar can help inform management and coexistence efforts -- proactive strategies that can prevent or minimize conflicts between livestock and our state’s newest wolves.

“Wolves are just starting to return to their historical range here. OR-7 proved that a wolf could make the trek to California. The Shasta Pack gave us hope for wolf packs here. Now the presence of the Lassen Pack shows that wolves are eager to return to their native territory in the Golden State.”

For nearly 80 years, Defenders of Wildlife has worked to protect and restore America’s wildlife at risk of extinction, advancing a vision of a future in which wildlife thrives, sustained by broad public support and a resilient network of healthy lands and waters. With a network of more than 2 million supporters, Defenders is an advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on Instagram @defendersofwildlife.  

 

News

Image
Diseases that spread in shared spaces can have massive impacts on mammal species and have the potential to kill entire litters of wolf pups.
Raleigh, N.C.

More Red Wolf Pups Shows Promising Growth for Critically Endangered Canid

The Red Wolf Recovery Program in North Carolina confirmed the birth of four wild litters of Red Wolf pups in eastern North Carolina, home to the only population of wild Red Wolves in the world.
Image
Two North Atlantic right whales swimming alongside one another in the ocean
Washington, DC

Defenders Calls Foul on Latest Bill Seeking to Delay Protections for the Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whale

Defenders of Wildlife condemns HR 9436, which would delay right whale protections until 2035, as entanglements push the species toward extinction.