Colorado Parks and Wildlife declared on Sunday that the second gray wolf reintroduction season’s capture and release was complete.
According to CPW, 15 wolves—seven males and eight females—were moved from British Columbia’s central interior to Colorado. According to a press statement, they also freed five members of the original Copper Creek pack that they had retaken in September.
In Eagle and Pitkin counties, all of the wolves were released, according to CPW. On January 12, 14, and 16, five wolves were released on each of these dates.
According to CPW, January 12th was the 30th anniversary of wolves being brought to Yellowstone National Park from Canada.
The 2024–2025 catch season will not see any more wolf releases. Wolves will be released in three to five seasons, this being the second.
Following the 2020 approval of Proposition 114 by voters, the operation is a component of the Colorado Wolf Restoration Management Plan.
CPW stated that it will manage wolf-human-livestock interactions while restoring and preserving a healthy, self-sustaining wolf population in Colorado in compliance with the referendum proposition.
According to the plan, CPW would release 10 to 15 gray wolves annually on the Western Slope over a period of three to five years. The first 10 wolves were released by CPW in Grand and Summit counties in December 2023. In 2024, CPW did not release additional wolves as anticipated.
The reintroduction of wolves to Colorado was fraught with difficulties for ranchers, CPW, and animal and environmental organizations.
Three of the ten reintroduced wolves have perished in the past year, including one that was unlawfully shot. According to CPW, the wolves have killed 27 sheep and animals throughout the state.
According to the media release, CPW has enhanced and broadened its capacities for producers through the Conflict Minimization Program in response to the livestock depredations.
The program will increase the possibility of successful nonlethal deployment and enable a quicker reaction to conflicts. According to CPW, this investigation leads to better methods for modifying depredation behavior early on and lowering the likelihood of recurrent depredations.
“As restoration efforts continue, CPW is committed to working with livestock owners, communities, state agencies and all partners to reduce the likelihood of wolf-livestock conflict. Our goal is to keep ranchers ranching, while at the same time restoring a healthy, sustainable population of gray wolves to Colorado as mandated,” CPW Director Jeff Davis stated.
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British Columbia operation
According to the press statement, the wolves were apprehended in Canada over a period of six days. The wolves were taken from British Columbian regions where caribou recovery is being aided by predator reduction.
According to CPW, all of the wolves received excellent veterinary care, were vaccinated, and were collared since animal welfare and safety were given top priority at every stage of the operation. After being captured, one wolf passed away.
According to the veterinary team, the animal’s age and underlying medical issues might have played a role in its demise, according to CPW.
Biologists took care to choose wolves that fit the requirements established at the beginning of the study, according to CPW. According to the government, there are no worries that the wolves chosen have been implicated in recurring livestock depredations because wolves from this region of British Columbia don’t intersect with places where cattle are prevalent.
The number of gray wolves in British Columbia is estimated to be between 5,300 and 11,600. According to CPW, they are extensively dispersed around the province.
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Copper Creek operation
In September, four pups and two adult wolves from the Copper Creek pack were taken into custody. Shortly after, one of the wolves, the adult male, passed away. Later, investigators concluded that it had been shot.
After wolves killed livestock, CPW attempted to relocate the group, which included the capture operation.
The four pups and the Copper Creek female were successfully moved by CPW on January 18. Since their capture, the pups have been kept in a secure location.
According to the press release, the puppies were released with the mother to make sure they learned how to hunt. Every wolf will be attentively watched and has been equipped with a collar for tracking.
According to CPW, a number of considerations were taken into account while deciding whether to rerelease the Copper Creek pack, including the pack’s health, the closeness to the new wolves, and the time of the release of the additional 15 wolves.
According to CPW, the pack’s capture was a management measure intended to alter the animals’ behavior in order to decrease depredations and may have an additional effect on the conduct of the adult female in the future.
