Gray Wolves Born at California Wolf Center as Wild Counterparts Make History in Our State
June 6, 2018 - JULIAN, CA - At least two gray wolf puppies have been born at California Wolf Center. These two pups join their parents, Wintu and Yana, as part of the North American gray wolf pack residing at the nonprofit’s conservation center. Born on or around May 6th in a den dug by their parents, these two puppies represent a much larger story of conservation in our state. Gray wolves are returning to California after being eradicated by government run anti-predator campaigns in the 1920s.
California Wolf Center is a leader in wild wolf recovery throughout the Pacific West and the Southwest. The newly born puppies and their pack are part of educational programs hosted at the nonprofit’s conservation center in Julian, although they remain off exhibit at this time. Beyond their physical site, California Wolf Center staff also work in the field supporting communities living with returning wild wolf populations. Ranchers are the stewards of much of the open space where wild wolves have returned to and will return to in the future. California Wolf Center values building on common ground, so wolves, livestock and people can thrive on shared landscapes.
California Wolf Center’s Range Steward program is the first of its kind in the Golden State and is driven forward by a leadership team of Northern California ranchers. Range Stewards are trained ranchers working to rekindle the ‘herd instinct’ in cattle, thus reducing the chance of wolf-livestock conflict. These actions increase connection and tolerance of ranchers, ensuring livestock are safe and wolves achieve long term recovery.
The pups residing at California Wolf Center will continue to be cared for in as wild a way as possible allowing their relationships with their parents and each other to be the priority. These new additions join over twenty wolves living at California Wolf Center, many of which are part of the Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan, a captive breeding and reintroduction program for the critically endangered Mexican gray wolf. With less than 150 individuals in the wild, California Wolf Center’s role in the program is crucial.
About California Wolf Center
The California Wolf Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the return of wild wolves to their natural habitat and to the people who share the landscape with them. We foster communities coming together to ensure wolves, livestock, and people thrive in today’s world. Learn more at californiawolfcenter.org
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Media Contact
Michelle Carroll, Director of Education and Volunteers