A gray wolf has entered Los Angeles county for the first time in more than 100 years, wildlife officials confirmed. The three-year-old female, known as BEY03F, crossed into the county early on 7 February, marking the southernmost verified gray wolf sighting in modern times.
BEY03F was born in Plumas county and belongs to the Beyem Seyo pack. She has travelled nearly the full length of the Sierra Nevada, likely searching for a mate. Officials tracked her movements using a GPS collar fitted in 2025. She has since moved north again, possibly deterred by Interstate 5, where vehicle strikes pose a major risk to wolves.
Gray wolves once ranged widely across the continental US but were wiped out in California by the early 20th century. Protection under the Endangered Species Act and reintroduction efforts, including those at Yellowstone National Park in the 1990s, helped the species recover. Wolves began returning to California in 2011, and officials now estimate at least 70 live in the state.
Conservationists welcomed the wolf’s arrival as a sign of recovery, but legal battles continue over federal protections. The Center for Biological Diversity recently sued the federal government over its decision not to pursue a national gray wolf recovery plan.
