A gray wolf was seen in Los Angeles County for the first time in more than 100 years on Saturday morning. Axel Hunnicutt, gray wolf coordinator for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said, "This is the most southern verified record of a gray wolf in modern times." The wolf is a three-year-old female with a black coat, called BEY03F. She crossed into LA County around 6 a.m. on 7 February. Born in 2023 in Plumas County, part of the Beyem Seyo pack, BEY03F traveled nearly the whole Sierra Nevada mountain range. Hunnicutt believes she was searching for a mate. Wildlife officials have tracked her because she wears a GPS collar fitted in May 2025 in Tulare County. So far, the public has not reported any sightings of BEY03F in Los Angeles. By Tuesday, she was moving north, likely stopped by Interstate 5, Hunnicutt said. Vehicle accidents are a major danger to wolves. He added, "It’s possible she may continue to travel hundreds of miles in search of a mate or she may come across a male tomorrow." Gray wolves once lived across the continental U.S., but hunters killed many, and the last wild wolf in California was shot in 1924. In 1973, the Endangered Species Act protected gray wolves. They were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in the 1990s, and have since spread across many states. The first wolf reached California in 2011. By 2024, California had at least 70 gray wolves, up from 44 in 2023. Hunnicutt said, "Just over 30 years ago, gray wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho. The wolves in California are [descendants] of these animals and made their way to California because of wolves doing what BEY03F is doing now: being an explorer." Each year, the wolf population grows and expands into new areas thanks to such exploration. Conservationists celebrate BEY03F’s arrival in LA County as a positive sign. However, advocates are still fighting for stronger protections nationwide. The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit on 10 February against the Trump administration’s refusal to create a national gray wolf recovery plan. In 2024, the Biden administration announced plans for a recovery plan. But in 2025, the Fish and Wildlife Service said it would no longer prepare an updated plan, claiming the gray wolf’s endangered status was "no longer appropriate."