Endangered gray wolf photographed in Lake County, signaling westward expansion in California

In late August, a gray wolf was captured on camera and its tracks confirmed in the area where Mendocino, Glenn and Lake counties converge, providing rare evidence of the endangered predator in western California. Alicia de la Garza, deputy director of public affairs for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said biologists validated the photos and found wolf tracks near the sighting site. The observation follows a gradual rebound of the species, which vanished from the state in the 1920s and has rebounded to roughly 50 individuals statewide.

Conservationists highlight the region’s plentiful elk and other prey as ideal for wolves, and the sighting underscores the species’ expansion beyond the eastern side of Interstate 5. State law prohibits hunting or harming gray wolves, and officials advise people to remain calm, make noise, keep eye contact and back away slowly if they encounter one. The development arrives as the federal government reviews wolf protections under the Endangered Species Act.