The report stipulates it is “probable” that a gray wolf predation event took place with the dead calf. It is unclear whether the dead cow found was killed by the wolves since the cow had evidence of infection and may have already been dead when the wolves got to it, Traverso said.
During the investigation, which took place Nov. 11, the biologists played recordings of a pair of wolves, wolf pups and a rabbit to see if there would be any response. “When they played the howling recording they got multiple wolves howling back and also saw a wolf – so they knew the wolves were in the proximity,” Traverso said.
The wolf came within 100 yards, the report said. Three other wolves were photographed later. The agency chose not to disclose the ranch address or the ranch owner’s name. Possible gray wolf predation events are no rarity, but agency biologists typically find these to be caused by coyotes or mountain lions upon investigation. That determination is made by studying tracks and scat at the kill site, as well as how an animal was felled.
via First California gray wolf predation event in nearly 100 years recorded | The Sacramento Bee.