30 new pups double California’s wolf population, report says

( KRON ) — Five California wolf families produced pups this year, which doubled the state’s wolf population in the past year, a report recently published by the California Department of Fish and Game said.

These 30 new pups bring the total number of known wolves in the Golden State to 62, according to the report.

“Seeing wolves return to the places this magnificent species once called home and have these adorable new pups is as inspiring as it gets,” said Amaroq Weiss, senior wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity.

There are seven known California wolf families. Of the seven, the Lassen, Whaleback, Beyem Seyo, Harvey, Antelop, and Yowlumni packs produced pups this year, with Antelope producing the most at 15.

These seven wolf families inhabit portions of six counties, including Siskiyou, Lassen, Plumas, Sierra, Nevada and Tulare counties.

Weiss believes the increase in production is both a great sign for the state and a testament to the efforts made to conserve the native species. “That’s a testament to the visionary power and strong enforcement of the federal and state endangered species acts,” he said.

Wolves were reestablished in California after an over 80-year absence. The first confirmed wolf in the state since 1924 was in 2011, when a male gray wolf, OR-7, crossed into California from the Oregon border.

“I’m overjoyed that California now has an estimated 62 wolves in the state,” Weiss said. “It’s a great start, but we’ve got more work to do. California wolves need to keep their strong state and federal protections if they’re going to fully recover and thrive here.”

Since the 1970s, wolves have been protected in California under the federal Endangered Species Act.

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