The Shasta Pack was California’s first contemporary wild wolf pack in nearly 90 years, first discovered in 2015 following sightings of an individual adult black wolf in Siskiyou County. Subsequent observations of this pack included a sighting of two black wolves together and trail camera images of a family of black wolves: two adults and five pups.
DNA from scat collected from the breeding pair established that they both originated from Oregon’s Imnaha Pack in NE Oregon and were siblings to OR-7 of the Rogue Pack in Southern Oregon. Scat tests collected from two of the pups indicated they were male and female.
After producing a litter of five pups in 2015, they stopped being regularly detected in November 2015. Most of the Shasta Pack was presumed dead once sightings and detections stopped, other than one yearling being identified within the pack’s territory in May 2016. This same yearling was detected, and confirmed by DNA analysis, in northwest Nevada in November 2016.
Background
Sightings of an individual adult black wolf in Siskiyou County, California were first reported to CDFW in early 2015. Subsequently, sightings of two black wolves together were reported. In August, a trail camera captured images of a family of seven black wolves, two adults and five pups.
DNA from scat collected from the breeding pair established that they both originated from Oregon’s Imnaha Pack in NE Oregon and were siblings to OR-7 of the Rogue Pack in Southern Oregon. Scat tests collected from two of the pups indicated they were male and female.
Current numbers: 0
Pack status: Designated August 20th, 2015. Now presumed dead.
Photos & Video
Useful Links
California Department of Fish & Wildlife – Gray Wolf
