SACRAMENTO-
The gray wolf will now be listed as an endangered species under California Law.
The California Fish and Game Commission voted earlier this week to move forward with writing regulatory language to protect the animal. However, the vote means immediate protection under the California Endangered Species Act.
“Wolves deserve our protection as they begin to disperse from Oregon to their historic range in California,” Michael Sutton, president of the commission said in a press release.
According to the commission, at this time there are no gray wolves known to be in California. A male wolf that has been tracked crossing from Oregon into California several times since 2011, OR7, was recently spotted with a female and little pups.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife says they are not aware of any other confirmed sightings of other gray wolves in the state.
The gray wolf is already on the federal list of endangered species.
For more information about OR7, and gray wolves’ history in California, click here.