California's first gray wolf pack since wild wolves disappeared from the state nearly a century ago has been spotted in the woods in the northern part of the state.

The pack appears to include a wolf photographed by state fish and wildlife experts last month, then believed to be alone.

"This news is exciting for California," Charlton Bonham, director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, said in a statement. "We knew wolves would eventually return home to the state, and it appears now is the time."