Golden State Wolves Now Getting Closer To The Bay Area After Lake County Sighting

Add Lake County, in the western side of Northern California, to the growing list of areas now housing wolf populations.

Here’s more from the San Francisco Chronicle:

The sighting, one of the closest to the Bay Area in modern times, was confirmed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in and around the Mendocino National Forest, not far from Lake Pillsbury.

State wildlife officials do not know whether the wolf, which is believed to be 3 or 4 years old, is traveling alone and looking for a mate or is in the process of establishing a pack. Either way, it’s one of few wolves documented west of Interstate 5 since the return of wolves to the state after being killed off a century ago. Other wolves detected close to the state’s coast have been near Oregon or in Southern California.

“It’s the first time we’ve seen a wolf in this area,” Axel Hunnicutt, state gray wolf coordinator for the Department of Fish and Wildlife, told the Chronicle. “Internally, it’s something we’re excited about. It’s ultimately one of the areas where we want wolves to be.”