The gray wolf’s return to California has been a triumph of wildlife resilience, until now.

In October 2025, California wildlife officials euthanized four gray wolves from the Beyem Seyo pack, citing an “unprecedented” number of livestock kills. While rancher concerns must be taken seriously, lethal force should never be the first, or only, tool in managing wolf-livestock conflicts.

These wolves were part of a fragile and slowly recovering population after being wiped out of the state nearly a century ago. Their comeback has been celebrated by conservationists and wildlife advocates across California. But with this latest killing, the state risks reversing years of progress and setting a dangerous precedent.

California has long claimed to be a leader in environmental ethics. But firing guns at apex predators because non-lethal tools “didn’t work fast enough” is not leadership, it’s a policy failure.

Proven, humane alternatives like electric fencing, livestock guardian animals, range riders, and targeted compensation programs can reduce conflict without resorting to lethal force. Other states have embraced these models, why not California?

The Department of Fish and Wildlife must:

• Commit to exhausting all non-lethal methods before any lethal action is authorized
• Provide increased funding and technical support for ranchers implementing coexistence strategies
• Increase transparency about decisions to euthanize wolves, including public reporting on efforts made prior to lethal force

We urge Governor Newsom and CDFW Director Bonham to act now before more wolves are lost. California must do better than this.

Sign now to demand ethical, science-based, and humane solutions for wolf management—not bullets.

Photo: California Department of Fish and Wildlife via AP