Gray wolves once disappeared from California. Now, after decades of absence, they’ve returned — only to face renewed threats.

In Lassen County, a local sheriff is calling on the state to remove endangered species protections for wolves following a series of livestock attacks. While these losses are difficult for any rancher, killing wolves is not the answer.

These wolves are a federally and state-protected species, still fighting to reclaim a fraction of their historic range. The science is clear: wolves do not kill “for the sake of killing.” They hunt to survive and to protect their pack. Calls to delist them based on fear or frustration risk setting back years of conservation progress.

California has long been a leader in protecting wildlife. We ask the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the California Natural Resources Agency to reject any effort to remove endangered species protections from gray wolves. Instead, the state should increase support for non-lethal tools and training to help ranchers protect their livestock without harming native predators.

We can choose coexistence over conflict. We can choose compassion over killing. Sign this petition to defend California’s wolves and demand a humane, science-based approach to managing their return.