OLYMPIA, Wash.— Washington’s wolf population increased by 17.4% last year and the number of successful breeding pairs increased by 27%, according to figures released today by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“It’s encouraging that Washington’s wolf population and number of breeding pairs increased last year, especially considering 2024’s discouraging declines,” said Amaroq Weiss, a senior wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Regaining lost footing is essential but these numbers don’t mean wolves are recovered in Washington. The southern Cascades and North Coast boast some of the best wolf habitat in the state but still have no wolf packs or breeding pairs.”

Today’s report indicates that at the end of 2025, the state had 270 wolves in 49 packs, 23 of which had successful breeding pairs. This marks an increase from the end of 2024, when the state had 230 wolves in 43 packs, including 18 successful breeding pairs.

The report shows that at least 28 wolves died in 2025, 25 of them killed by people. Six wolves were killed for livestock conflicts — four by the department and two by livestock owners who shot wolves they claimed were chasing livestock. Twelve died from Tribal hunting by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville, which retain tribal treaty rights for hunting on their reservation and on ceded lands. The Tribe also reported three additional wolves monitored by them as having died from human causes.

There were three known illegal killings, which remain under investigation. Scientific research has shown that for every illegally slain wolf that’s found, another one to two wolves have been killed and remain undiscovered.

“We have to figure out how to reduce human-caused mortality elsewhere in the state if we want to make it possible for wolves to safely make their way west and south into that third recovery zone,” said Weiss. “Once they get there, we must keep them safe from illegal poaching. The bottom line is that for Washington’s wolf population to fully recover, the department must focus on reducing human-caused wolf deaths.”

Background

The state’s first wolf pack in modern times was confirmed in eastern Washington in 2008. Since then, records of the numbers of wolves, packs, breeding pairs and mortalities have been documented in annual wolf reports for the state.

Between 2008 and 2015, known wolf deaths in Washington were in the single digits most years with human-caused mortality the leading cause of death. Wolf deaths began increasing in 2016, with 37 deaths in 2024 and 28 in 2025.

This high level of mortality is likely a limiting factor for wolves to successfully disperse throughout the state. Washington’s wolf plan divides the state into three recovery regions with breeding pair population objectives designated for each. No breeding pairs have yet been established in the third recovery region, which encompasses the southern Cascades and north coast.