Gray Wolves - Back in California

A stop on Oakland Zoo: Savanna to California Trail, a free self-guided tour.

Gray wolves were wiped out in California by the 1920s, hunted and trapped as threats to livestock. For nearly a century there were none. Then, in 2011, a single collared wolf known as OR-7 wandered in from Oregon, and since then wolf packs have settled again in the northern part of the state.

The wolves here help tell that story. Wolves live in family packs, usually a breeding pair and their offspring, and they communicate with howls, body language and scent. A howl can help scattered pack members find each other or warn other packs away.

Scientists have found that wolves can shape whole ecosystems by keeping deer and elk on the move. Look along the hillside and the shade: wolves often rest during the warm part of the day and become more active toward evening.

Getting here: Continue along the trail to the gray wolf viewing area.

Did you know?: OR-7 walked more than 1,000 miles from northeastern Oregon into California, becoming the first known wild wolf in the state in decades.

Photo op: If the wolves are moving, shoot low through the viewing window to catch one trotting across the slope.

For kids: Wolves howl to talk to their pack. Make up a family howl and use it to find each other today.

Nearby: A water filling station and restrooms are along the trail near the Condor and Jaguar Pavilion.

Gray Wolves - Back in California

Stops on this tour