A Wildlife Article used with permission from All-Creatures.org

Katie Nolan reports on the tragic news that four members of the Beyem Seyo wolf pack have been killed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife due to the pack's predation of farmed animals.

California Tragedy Sparks National Wolf Disaster
From Katie Nolan, IDA In Defense of Animals, idausa.org
November 2025

Images from Canva

After nearly a century without wolves, California’s wild areas have begun to see their return. Since 2011, wolves have slowly started to recolonize the state. The Beyem Seyo pack embodied that hope until their lives were tragically cut short — and the consequences for the entire species are dire.

Between March and September of 2025, members of the Beyem Seyo pack moved into the Sierra Valley and began to prey on cattle and sheep. In October, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) killed four wolves, including the breeding pair and two of their offspring. The remains of two additional juveniles were also found. Only three members of the pack remain — a single adult and two juveniles — whom CDFW plans to capture and relocate to a sanctuary.

This was the first state-sanctioned wolf killing in California since their return. The loss of the Beyem Seyo pack is a major setback for wolf recovery in the state. Only a few packs are established, and just three had pups this year.

Since this incident, the Trump administration has canceled a Biden-era mandated recovery plan for gray wolves in California, western Oregon, and much of the lower 48 states.

Wolves are intelligent, social animals who live in close family groups and play an essential role in healthy ecosystems. Killing them destabilizes packs and often leads to more conflicts as surviving wolves disperse and struggle to survive on their own.

Lethal control is not the answer. Non-lethal tools like fencing, flags, range riders, drones, and other deterrents should be urgently prioritized in areas where wolves are re-establishing. In Defense of Animals has been on the ground, building bridges in an effort to protect wolves’ future in California, where they belong.

You can help protect wolves in your own state by urging your legislators to strengthen state protections and end lethal management policies.

Choosing plant-based foods is the most powerful way to help wolves and other animals from ranching conflicts. Download our Vegan Starter Guide today.

The violent deaths of the wolves comprising the Beyem Seyo pack and the cancellation of the federal wolf recovery plan remind us how fragile their recovery remains, and how urgently wolves and farmed animals need our protection.

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Posted on All-Creatures.org: November 10, 2025
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