Wolf sightings reported near South Lake Tahoe

HOPE VALLEY — Once thought extinct in California, wolves are making a surprising comeback. After no confirmed reports for nearly 100 years, since the early 1900s, seven packs are roaming in Northern California.

However, now, there are signs that there could be an eighth pack starting up just outside of South Lake Tahoe. Michele Dodge, a wildlife enthusiast and photographer, is cautiously optimistic.

"They could be big healthy coyotes. That was my first thought when I heard about that," Dodge said.

Over the past month, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has received several reports of wolf sightings in Hope Valley, just 20 miles south of South Lake Tahoe.

"We have gone out and tried to monitor to try and confirm whether they are wolves or not," gray wolf coordinator Axel Hunnicutt said.

Crews have gone out looking for them — tracking clues and paw prints and even setting up bait — near cameras hoping to confirm the sightings.

"If it is a wolf, we can determine where it came from — whether it came from out of the state or one of the packs we already know about," Hunnicutt said.

California's wolf population has expanded with seven packs being tracked by GPS and more than 100 pups monitored since 2015. Wildlife officials are currently investigating three to four new areas for potential wolf activity, adding Hope Valley to the list.

While the idea of wolf packs may seem alarming, wolf-human interactions are extremely rare. Fish and Wildlife crews are now working with local ranchers on ways to keep livestock safe.

"There are various techniques that can be used: changing husbandry practices to how livestock is managed to more intensive treatments like using electrified flagging as a term of flaggery in some cases," Hunnicutt said.

Fish and Wildlife crews are still working to confirm the reports. If confirmed, this would be one of the first packs to move south of Interstate 80.