Latest news with #Ishi
Los Angeles Times
31-05-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
Three more wolf packs confirmed in California as ranchers call for relief
It was bright and early and Axel Hunnicutt was howling. He was looking for wolves. Sometimes they howl back, providing a sense of their location. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife this week reported there were three new wolf packs in the state's far north. Hunnicutt, gray wolf coordinator for the agency, was trying to track down one of them — the freshly minted Ashpan pack that consists of at least two wolves roaming eastern Shasta County. There's also the Ishi pack in eastern Tehama County and the Tunnison pack in central Lassen County. Some experts say there could now be more than 70 wolves living in California. 'I don't want to boast, but I think my howl is pretty good,' Hunnicutt said by phone while heading to the town of Burney, north of Lassen Volcanic National Park. He was taking a break from a day of searching that began at 5 a.m. in an effort to add to the limited information state wildlife officials know about the packs. The goal is to capture and outfit one of the wolves with a GPS collar. That would allow them to share information about the animal's whereabouts with owners of livestock that could become a meal for the apex predators. And it would make it easier to track them down again and collar more wolves if necessary. The trio of new packs brings the state total to 10, marking a continued resurgence for the canids protected under state and federal endangered species laws. There were seven packs by the end of last year and just one at this time five years ago. All of the latest packs were confirmed by what Hunnicutt described as 'persistence' — documenting at least two wolves together at least four times in an area over six months. At least three wolves comprise the Ishi pack; it's not clear if one is the offspring of the other two. It's welcome news for conservationists, who want to see the state's native animals thrive. Many ranchers, however, see the rise of wolves as a threat to their livelihood. California's wolves were killed off by humans about a century ago, and they only began to recolonize the state about 14 years ago. In recent years, the population has started to take off. There were about 50 by the end of last year, wildlife officials said. The population fluctuates throughout the year as pups are born and die off, and it's likely higher at the moment. As the number of wolves increases, so does the number of cattle they attack. Between January and March of this year, 26 instances of livestock depredation were being investigated with wolves confirmed as the culprit in 16 of them, according to state data. Kirk Wilbur, vice president of government affairs for the California Cattlemen's Assn., a trade association representing ranchers and beef producers, said wolves in at least two of the new packs are known to have preyed on livestock. 'There's been a real emotional impact, a real fear impact, in the north state,' Wilbur said. 'Folks who perhaps have never had a wolf depredation on their herd are nevertheless fearful of the possibility, and the folks who have suffered repeat depredations from wolves, this gets really stressful and taxing and depressing for those producers.' This month, Shasta County joined four other Northern California counties in declaring states of emergency due to wolves. The county's Board of Supervisors also penned a letter to the state wildlife department calling for 'immediate assistance and regulatory changes to better equip counties to address this growing concern,' according to a news release. The state has taken steps to address ranchers' concerns. About two weeks ago, the state wildlife department announced the release of an online map that shows the approximate location of GPS-collard wolves. Anyone can check it out, but it's geared toward cluing in ranchers in an effort to prevent wolf-livestock conflict. California wildlife officials plan to complete a status review of the wolf population and are exploring the possibility of allowing harsher methods to haze the animals, including firing nonlethal ammunition at them. The state agency also offers reimbursement to ranchers for livestock killed by wolves. At one point, the state also provided money to cover nonlethal tools and indirect losses, but Hunnicutt said the program no longer has enough funding to do so. Wilbur said the new packs underscore a long-held belief by his group that gray wolves don't need to be on California's endangered species list, where they were added in 2014. Some ranchers want to be able to shoot the broad-muzzled canids, something their protected status precludes. Hunnicutt said it's not so cut and dried. 'With wolves, if allowed the protections that they have, they do really well, and they recover quickly,' he said. 'On the flip side, it would not take very much to completely topple these 10 packs.' He pointed out that the hundreds of thousands — and potentially millions — of wolves were eradicated from the Western U.S. within decades. Roughly 50 animals is generally not considered a 'viable population,' according to Hunnicutt. If the population reaches about 150, he said protections could probably be relaxed. Amaroq Weiss, senior wolf advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity, a conservation group, sees the wolves' growth rate as typical. She said the state's 2016 wolf conservation plan identified about 23,000 square miles of suitable wolf habitat just in the region north of Interstate 80. The same plan estimated that that area could support roughly 370 to 500 wolves. Weiss said misunderstanding and misinformation is fueling backlash against the animals. 'Decades of research shows that conflicts between livestock, wolves and people are rare and preventable,' she said in a statement. 'These magnificent animals have immense value because they help keep nature wild and healthy, and that ultimately benefits humans as well.' Back in Shasta County, Hunnicutt was hot on the trail of the Ashpan pack. He picked up tracks, which led him to a fresh poop. He scooped it up. 'It's like, ah! I'm gonna figure out who it is,' he said. He believes the two wolves in the pack might be denning; it's currently the season. That means they bred and the female gave birth in a den, which could be a hollowed-out log or other safe haven. When wolves are denning, they're anchored to one spot — the den — upping the chances of finding them. It essentially entails trying to locate one square mile of activity in a 1,000-square-mile search area, Hunnicutt said. 'It's hard, but I love it,' he said. After lunch in Burney, he'd go back to scouting.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
California officials confirm three new wolf packs in Northern California
( — The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said it confirmed three new packs of gray wolves in Northern California in the first quarter of 2025. The Ashpan pack is located in eastern Shasta County and is made up of at least two wolves, the CDFW said. In eastern Tehama County, the Ishi pack has at least three members. The Tunnison pack in central Lassen County is made up of at least two wolves. CDFW said one of the Tunnison pack wolves, LAS32F, has a collar but it no longer functions. The agency said it investigated 33 reported livestock attacks in March, April, and the beginning of May. CDFW confirmed 18 were committed by wolves. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Newsweek
29-05-2025
- General
- Newsweek
Wolves Are Returning To California
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. California wildlife officials reported the confirmation of three new gray wolf packs in the state's northern counties, raising the number of established packs to 10—a level not seen in over a century. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) said on Tuesday that the Ashpan pack in eastern Shasta County, the Tunnison pack in central Lassen County, and the Ishi pack in eastern Tehama County were identified in its most recent quarterly survey. Each pack was formed by wolves dispersing from neighboring areas. The new packs highlight ongoing recovery efforts for this apex predator in the American West, nearly a century after hunters and trappers eliminated wolves from the region's wilds. Why It Matters The re-establishment of wolves in California signals a major triumph for native wildlife conservation and ecosystem restoration. Wolves once roamed throughout North America but were eliminated from California by the 1920s. Their return has been both welcomed by conservationists, who cite wolves' role in maintaining ecological balance, and met with apprehension by ranchers concerned about livestock losses. This June 18, 2019, file photo from remote camera video provided by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife shows an adult wolf and three pups in Lassen County in Northern California. This June 18, 2019, file photo from remote camera video provided by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife shows an adult wolf and three pups in Lassen County in Northern California. California Department of Fish and Wildlife/AP What To Know A Century-Long Absence and a Slow Return California's last native gray wolf was killed in 1924. Only in 2011 did a wild wolf, OR-7, cross from Oregon into California, ending 87 years of absence. By 2015, resident packs began forming, with the Shasta Pack as the first confirmed since the species' extirpation. Protection and Recovery Wolves in California are protected under both state and federal endangered species acts, prohibiting their killing or harassment except in defense of human life. The CDFW and conservation groups have supported these protections to facilitate natural colonization, rather than formal reintroduction as seen in other states. Recent Growth and Current Packs The latest additions—the Ashpan, Tunnison, and Ishi packs—were identified through camera traps and field monitoring, joining established packs in Siskiyou, Lassen, Plumas, Sierra, Shasta, and Tulare counties. State biologists estimate that up to 70 wolves now reside within California's borders. Ongoing Challenges As wolves have returned, threats to livestock have increased. In April alone, wolves killed 13 calves and injured seven more, according to state data. Four rural counties have declared states of emergency citing threats to ranching. Ranchers and the California Cattlemen's Association have requested changes to wolf protections to allow broader strategies for managing depredation, but direct lethal control remains illegal. State Response and Future Habitat The CDFW has designated support funds for ranchers losing livestock to wolves and continues public outreach to address coexistence concerns. Wildlife officials estimate that California's wilderness could eventually support several hundred wolves. What People Are Saying Amaroq Weiss, senior wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement released May 28: "How wonderful to witness another year of continued growth in California's recovering wolf population. It's inspiring to watch this renaissance, and we should do everything we can to ensure California's wolves have every chance to thrive." Kirk Wilbur, lobbyist for the California Cattlemen's Association, told the Sacramento Bee: "We continue to have concerns that additional wolves mean additional depredation on livestock." What Happens Next State and federal wildlife agencies are expected to intensify monitoring and to update wolf management strategies, while ongoing dialogue continues between conservationists, government and the ranching industry to shape future coexistence policies.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Tehama County Museum Lecture
The Tehama County Museum will host its third lecture on Saturday, May 10 in its 2025 Lecture Series. The presentation will feature Steve Schoonover speaking on 'Before Ishi: The Life and Death of the Yahi,'. Schoonover will be speaking about his book by the same title, which he describes as an effort to unravel the history of the Yahi from the myths that have been woven around Ishi. The presentation will begin at 1 p.m. in the Marty Graffel Annex of the Museum at 275 C St., in the City of Tehama. The Museum will be staffed and open to the public from 1-4 p.m. Admission to both the museum and the presentation is free and donations will be greatly appreciated. Schoonover is a long-time Northern California newsman, spending about 40 years with the Chico Enterprise-Record. A resident of Chico since 1963 and a 1975 graduate of Chico State University. His book is an attempt to reconstruct the history of the Yahi Indians of Northern California, a history the author feels was mangled by a common infatuation with the myths surrounding Ishi, the 'last survivor of the tribe.' The focus on Ishi has allowed the Yahi's remarkable adaptation to a hostile environment to be ignored. The author also believes the facts of the destruction of the tribe have been replaced with yarns which have been widely accepted, even though in his view, they don't make any sense. For decades, Schoonover, aided by his wife and fellow reporter, Laura Urseny, have been in search of Ishi's heritage and the fate of his people, the Yahi. They 'backpacked in 1995 from the Sacramento Valley floor near Red Bluff to Childs Meadow, in a bid to replicate the Yahi annual migration.' Schoonover's dogged investigation of the historical record challenges claims made in books about Ishi, and paints a nuanced picture of gruesome violence against native populations in the mid-1800s in Butte, Tehama and Shasta counties. He attempts to burst the 'Ishi myth,' that he was starving, that he and the Yahi were part of the Mill Creek Indians, 'the last survivor of a tribe that had terrorized Northern California for years. The book focuses on the life of the Yahi and surrounding tribes, and the coming of white settlers. There will be opportunities to ask questions at the end of the presentation. The Tehama County Museum may be reached by phone at (530)384-2595, and by email at tcmuse@
