California Department of Fish and Wildlife

After receiving a comprehensive medical evaluation, CDFW has received a clear picture of the mountain lion P-22’s medical condition and overall health. He had several severe injuries and chronic health problems. Based on these factors, compassionate euthanasia under general anesthesia was unanimously recommended by the medical team at San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and CDFW […]

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) have announced that the Feather River Fish Hatchery in Oroville will increase its production of fall-run Chinook salmon in 2023 to approximately 9.5 million fish to combat the impacts of drought and a thiamine deficiency affecting natural spawning and […]

California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham issued the following statement on the release today by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) of the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed decommissioning of four dams on the Klamath River: “We applaud the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission staff for issuing the final […]

Wildlife disease specialists have confirmed the presence of Highly Pathogenic Eurasian H5N1 Avian Influenza in three wild birds found in Colusa and Glenn counties.  The birds were collected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on July 5 during a mortality event at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex and submitted to the U.S. Geological […]

Two California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) trout hatcheries in the Eastern Sierra are continuing to fight an outbreak of Lactococcus petuari, a naturally occurring bacteria that sickens fish. The current outbreak was first detected in April 2022. CDFW fishery managers announced this week that approximately 350,000 infected catchable rainbow trout are now showing […]

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is nearing the completion of its efforts to transport 19.7 million hatchery-raised fall-run and 960,000 spring-run juvenile Chinook salmon (known as smolts) to the San Pablo Bay, San Francisco Bay and seaside net pens this spring and summer. CDFW raises the fish at Feather River, Nimbus, Mokelumne […]

Since approximately May 13, 2022, several Southern and Central California wildlife rehabilitation facilities from San Luis Obispo County south to San Diego County have been admitting hundreds of California brown pelicans, a fully protected species in California. The pelicans have been found emaciated and frequently with secondary injuries or broken wings. Many of these birds […]

State and federal biologists have begun moving endangered adult winter-run Chinook salmon to the upper reaches of Battle Creek and threatened spring-run Chinook salmon to Clear Creek in northern California, where colder water temperatures will better support spawning and help their eggs survive the continuing drought.   Teams from the California Department of Fish and […]

Dog owners in northern California are reminded to take precautions to protect their pets from Salmon Poisoning Disease. Salmon Poisoning Disease is a potentially fatal condition seen only in dogs after they eat certain types of raw or cold smoked fish like trout and salmon that are infected with a bacteria-like organism, Neorickettsia helminthoeca, which […]

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham has assessed entanglement risk under the Risk Assessment Mitigation Program (RAMP) and announced the closure of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in Fishing Zones 1 and 2 (Sonoma/Mendocino county line to the Oregon state line) effective at noon on April 20, 2022. This closure […]

Would you like to help the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) recover and rehabilitate animals after they’ve been injured or orphaned by wildfires? What about supporting CDFW’s research into why the California sea otter population is unable to flourish in its native coastal waters? Or how drought and climate change affect California’s native […]

Livermore native Su­­e Crow Griffin’s image of affection displayed by a mother bobcat to her offspring along an Alameda County walking path has earned the 2021 grand prize in the 10th annual California Wildlife Photo of the Year contest. In a virtual celebration, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham named […]

SAN PEDRO, Calif – A unified command has been established to respond to an oil sheen reported a half-mile off Bolsa Chica State Beach. The Unified Command consists of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR), and Orange County. Divers confirmed this afternoon […]

On Nov. 10, OR93 was found dead near Interstate 5 near the town of Lebec, Calif. Following a full investigation and necropsy, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has determined that the wolf died from trauma consistent with vehicular strike and does not suspect foul play.   On the afternoon of Nov. 10, […]