Gray Wolf Visits LA County for First Time in 100 Years

A three-year-old gray wolf has wandered into Los Angeles County for the first time in roughly 100 years, proving that one of nature's greatest comeback stories is still being written.

The wolf, named BEY03F, was spotted on February 7 in Neenach, a small town in the northwestern part of LA County. She traveled about 400 miles from her birthplace in Plumas County in Northern California, crossing deserts and highways in what wildlife experts believe is a search for a mate.

California wildlife officials fitted BEY03F with a GPS collar last May in Tulare County near Sequoia National Park. Her tracking data shows she's covered roughly 500 miles over the past year, moving steadily south through terrain no gray wolf has explored in generations.

Her journey represents something bigger than one determined animal. Gray wolves once thrived across America, with up to two million individuals roaming the country before European settlement. By the 1920s, hunting, trapping, and habitat loss had completely wiped them out of California.

The turnaround began with the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and wolf reintroduction programs at Yellowstone National Park in the 1990s. Today, around 6,000 gray wolves live in the lower 48 states, with at least 70 in California spread across nine confirmed packs.

The Ripple Effect

BEY03F's historic visit shows how federal protection and conservation efforts can bring species back from the brink. Each wolf that establishes new territory expands the genetic diversity and range of the entire population, strengthening the species' future.

Her presence also highlights the delicate balance between wildlife recovery and human concerns. Last year, wolves killed 198 livestock animals in California, creating tensions with ranchers who want better management solutions. Wildlife officials are working to address conflicts while protecting the wolves' endangered status.

The road ahead remains uncertain for BEY03F. No known wolves live in the San Gabriel or Tehachapi Mountains where she's been exploring, though there's always hope an undetected male might be nearby. If she doesn't find a mate soon, she may head back north along the Sierra Nevada range.

Vehicle strikes pose the biggest threat to California's wolves, according to state wildlife coordinator Axel Hunnicutt. Every mile BEY03F travels through developed areas increases her risk of a deadly collision.

Still, her gumption has earned admirers across the state. Beth Pratt of the National Wildlife Federation perfectly summed up what many are feeling: "I am rooting for her."

One brave wolf is rewriting California's wildlife story, one dusty pawprint at a time.