Wolves have returned to California after a century. We should welcome them, not fear them | Opinion
In the long scope of natural history, 100 years is barely worth mentioning, but for humans, the return of one of California’s most iconic carnivores can feel like a seismic shift. Wolves are slowly reestablishing themselves in the Golden State after being wiped out for nearly a century, and people are certainly reacting to it.
A string of Northern California counties have recently passed or called for emergency resolutions asking the state to give local sheriffs the power to kill wolves. As a wolf conservationist and recovery policy expert with nearly 30 years of experience, I am profoundly concerned by these moves.
I’ve watched many of my neighbors delight in seeing the first wolf return in 2011, followed shortly by the first pack in 2015. These wolves crossed from Oregon on their own and continue to naturally resettle their former territory. Today, there are an estimated 50 to 70 wolves roaming our state. That’s welcome news.
While wolves are still far from recovered in California, our state has been mindful that an important change is happening. That’s why we’ve had a robust state wolf plan for nearly a decade, guided by our Department of Fish and Wildlife. This plan was developed with input from the livestock industry, hunting associations and conservationists.
Key to that plan is the state’s authority to investigate conflict between livestock and wolves: State biologists are experts with years of training allowing them to examine alleged wolf predations. Local sheriffs’ offices simply aren’t equipped to independently handle these incidents, and the state is required to address local concerns while fulfilling its obligation to protect wolves.
That’s why it’s worrying to see that Modoc, Plumas and Sierra counties have passed resolutions asking the state to grant sheriffs’ deadly power. Lassen and Siskiyou counties have written to the state seeking accelerated actions towards wolves, with Lassen County noting additional outreach it has made seeking federal authority to kill wolves.
These actions ignore California’s immense success at managing conflict between livestock and wolves. We see this in the state’s three-year pilot project, for which the legislature authorized $3 million in 2021, which compensated ranchers for direct losses from wolves. It also reimbursed them for deploying proactive nonlethal conflict deterrence measures like range riders. Every single verified loss claim was paid, and nearly two-thirds of the funds were paid out to ranchers for using nonlethal measures.
Despite a loud minority of voices calling for wolves to be killed, to return to last century’s status quo, most ranchers understand that people can coexist with this long-missing, ecologically-valuable native species.
Wolves aren’t responsible for the vast majority of livestock losses. U.S. Department of Agriculture data shows that, in every state, up to 95% of cattle deaths are due to non-carnivore causes like bad weather, disease and poisonous weeds. Of the 5% to 10% of losses caused by predators, wolves aren’t the largest contributor: Domestic dogs are responsible for five times more losses than wolves.
Of the 5.2 million cattle in California, per the state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s wolf quarterly reports, in 2024 only 54 confirmed and three probable losses were due to wolves — that’s .001% of California’s cattle.
Wolves pose even less of a threat to people. Over the last 125 years across North America, there have only been two documented cases of wolves killing a human.
The return of this remarkable native species is a conservation marvel worth celebrating. It’s certainly a change, but it’s also a chance to learn more about our natural world and how to live with wildlife. Amid the fear and insistence by some that we’re in an emergency, we must realize that we’re really in the midst of a great opportunity.
This story was originally published April 24, 2025 at 6:00 AM.