Lone Gray Wolf Spotted in LA County for First Time in 100 Years

The 3-year-old female wolf traveled hundreds of miles from Lake Tahoe to northern LA County.

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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A lone gray wolf who journeyed hundreds of miles from the Lake Tahoe area was spotted in Los Angeles County over the weekend, marking the first confirmed sighting of a gray wolf in the region in over a century. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has been monitoring the wolf's travels since May when she was fitted with a tracking collar.

Why it matters

Gray wolves are a protected endangered species in California, having been extirpated from the state in the 1920s before slowly returning on their own from other states. This rare sighting in LA County highlights the ongoing recovery efforts for the species and the expansion of their natural habitat.

The details

The 3-year-old female wolf was born in Plumas County near Lake Tahoe and was spotted about 375 miles south early Saturday morning near Lancaster in northern Los Angeles County. The state wildlife agency has been tracking her movements since May when she was fitted with a GPS collar.

  • The last gray wolf in the wild on record in Southern California was spotted in 2021 in Ventura County.
  • Natural recolonization of gray wolves in California began in 2011 before the formation of the Shasta Pack in 2015, which is no longer active.

The players

California Department of Fish and Wildlife

The state agency responsible for monitoring and protecting wildlife in California, including the ongoing recovery efforts for the endangered gray wolf population.

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The takeaway

This rare sighting of a lone gray wolf in LA County after over a century is an encouraging sign of the species' gradual return to its historic range in California, though challenges remain in ensuring their long-term recovery and coexistence with human populations.