Staff taking precautions as county coordinates response to wolf activity
Little Shasta Elementary School kept students indoors Friday after wolves were sighted in close proximity to the campus, prompting a report to the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office.
School officials said students remained inside for all recesses and PE activities as a precaution. The sighting comes as the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors has proclaimed a local emergency due to the presence of gray wolves in the area.
District 1 Supervisor Jess Harris reported that wolves were observed approximately 0.6 miles from the school and were seen chasing cattle roughly 0.9 miles away. An observant child spotted the cattle being chased during breakfast and raised the alarm.
“Many children wait for the school bus at the end of their driveways or are outside performing chores during the early morning hours before school begins,” Harris said, expressing concern about the proximity of wolf activity to rural residents’ daily routines.
The school said it is coordinating with the county wolf liaison and expects to receive daily updates on collared wolf locations to help guide safety decisions.
“We anticipate this to be a continued issue in the Little Shasta area and we will continue to provide our community with as much information as possible,” school officials said in a statement.
Harris called for wildlife management solutions, noting that wolves in the area have become increasingly habituated to human presence.
