Current work in wildlife, rivers, public lands, and climate

Six cattle have been harvested by wolves since Colorado began restoring the native keystone species to the state in December 2023. The owners of those livestock are eligible for “100 percent fair market value compensation,” according to the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan, although to-date, no compensation claims have been submitted.

In recent days, ranching interests have called for two wolves implicated in the harvest of livestock to be killed. Based on collar data, the targeted wolves are likely in the process of starting a family, which is a tremendously exciting step forward for reintroduction and recovery efforts. CPW Director Davis said “removing the male breeder at this point would be irresponsible management and potentially cause the den to fail, possibly resulting in the death of the presumed pups.”

“Director Davis is right to allow these wolves to live. Killing them would not only decimate Colorado’s wolf population, but could lead to more livestock-wolf conflict down the line by disrupting pack structure,” said Lindsay Larris, conservation director for WildEarth Guardians. “Colorado has eleven known wolves right now and some 2.8 million cows. We are sympathetic to the livestock owners’ losses, but that’s why there is a robust compensation program. We ought to be celebrating the fact that these wolves are denning and hopefully going to have pups. This is what Colorado voters wanted and what restoration looks like.”

This week, a reintroduced wolf was found dead in Larimer County; that incident is under investigation. In early April a wolf who dispersed from the Great Lakes died in a coyote trap in Elbert County.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife has compiled significant resources for Coloradans to coexist with wolves.

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