Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) announced Sept. 9 they had completed the capture of wolves from the Copper Creek wolf pack, according to an agency release. The adult male and female were part of the original wolves released in December 2023. In addition, four pups were captured. CPW announced in August they would attempt the capture and relocation of the wolves due to repeated livestock depredation in the area the wolves were inhabiting. According to a CPW report, wolves have killed or injured at least nine sheep and 15 head of cattle in 2024.
The Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan states that CPW will not relocate wolves with depredation histories into the wild within Colorado, stated the release.
“The plan also calls for flexibility,” says CPW Director Jeff Davis, “and it may not at times account for every unique situation the agency and our experts encounter. This spring, after a pair of wolves established a den in Middle Park, the male adult wolf was involved in multiple depredations. Removing the male at that time, while he was the sole source of food and the female was denning, would likely have been fatal to the pups and counter to the restoration mandate.”
Davis says the CPW worked closely with internal and external wildlife biologists, agency wildlife veterinarians, federal partners, and ranchers to create a plan to deal that was in the best interest of the wolves and Grand County producers.
“We are still in the early stages of the restoration plan,” Davis says. “Our legal obligation to Colorado voters is to continue working towards a sustainable population. We also must continue our efforts to minimize losses to our producers and to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of the wolves as we work towards a viable gray wolf population.”
Timeline:
On Thursday, Aug. 22, CPW began the operation to capture and relocate wolves from the depredating Copper Creek wolf pack, with technical support from federal partners.
- The adult female 2312-OR was captured on Sunday, August 25.
- The adult male 2309-OR was captured on Thursday, August 29 and died on Tuesday, September 3.
- The male pup 2401 was captured on Tuesday, September 3.
- Male pups 2403 and 2405 were captured on Wednesday, September 4.
- The female pup 2402 was captured on Thursday, September 5.
After three more days of operations, CPW felt confident there were no additional pups on the landscape. For the safety of these animals and staff, CPW will not be sharing the location of the pack.
The agency stated the adult male wolf, 2309-OR who was captured following the capture of 2312-OR, was found in poor condition, with several injuries to his right hind leg, unrelated to the capture. The wolf’s body weight was nearly 30% lower than it was when he was released in December. CPW staff administered antibiotics in an effort to address infections from his injury. Four days after transport, CPW’s wolf team biologists received a mortality signal from 2309-OR’s collar and the animal was confirmed to be deceased. CPW staff believes that it was unlikely the wolf would have survived for very long in the wild. A full necropsy will be conducted. Pups 2401, 2403, 2405, and 2402 were captured over the course of three days, with capture operations concluding on Sept. 8 and were underweight and otherwise healthy.
CPW further stated the agency will continue to assess the female and pups’ health and advance plans to re-release them, as they will be adult-sized and able to hunt on their own or together in a pack. This approach gives CPW the opportunity to release them into the wild together so they can contribute to wolf restoration in Colorado. CPW will have conversations with local elected officials and landowners in possible release areas before a release occurs.
“We will take the lessons we’ve learned here and apply them as we continue to build out a strong program alongside our federal and state partners, and both the wolf restoration advocacy and ranching communities,” Davis says. “The more we’re able to listen to understand one another and increase cooperation, the better off we’ll all be in the long run. Our focus in this case now is on a healthy release of the remaining members of the Copper Creek pack.”
Read more:
Ranchers Concerned Over Six Confirmed Wolf Kills in Colorado
First Calf Killed by Wolves Since Colorado’s Reintroduction
