Colorado Wolf Pack Captured and Relocated to “Secure Enclosure” Following Conflicts with Ranchers

A pack of wolves from Grand County has been relocated to an enclosure in an undisclosed location in Colorado following a multi-week capture operation. It was an effort designed to mitigate conflict with livestock producers, Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed in a press release on Monday.

The capture and relocation process began on Aug. 22 when CPW first set out to track down six wolves in Grand County. Officials captured adult female 2312-OR on Aug. 24, then adult male 2309-OR on Aug. 30 before he died on Sept. 3. The four pups — three males and a female — were captured between Sept. 3 and Sept. 5 and determined to be “underweight and otherwise healthy.” The wolves transported via truck to the secure location, CPW public information supervisor Travis Duncan tells Outdoor Life.

The adult male that had started the pack with the female was found in “found in poor condition” and died after sustaining injuries to his right hind leg. Those wounds were not associated with the capture, CPW reports.

“The wolf’s body weight was nearly 30% lower than it was when he was released in December,” reads the statement. “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.”

The male and female were two of the 10 wolves from Oregon that were released in Grand and Summit counties in the first phase of the Colorado gray wolf reintroduction. Now the five wolves of the Copper Creek pack have been relocated to a “large, secure enclosure with limited human interaction,” CPW says. The location of that enclosure has not been disclosed out of concern for the wolves’ safety. It is unclear how large the enclosure is, and whether it’s on public or private land. CPW did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This management decision follows multiple livestock depredations in Grand County and corresponding outrage from the ranching community. CPW first announced its plans to relocate the wolf pack late last month, making the announcement after officials had already begun the capture process.

Relocating wolves with known depredation histories is not part of the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan. But given that the female and pups were still denning at the time of the depredations, CPW says, the adult male was likely solely responsible for the livestock loss. The pups have yet to grow their adult teeth and are still largely reliant on their mother for food.

“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,” CPW director Jeff Davis said in the press release. “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.”

CPW stopped short of promising to release this particular pack back into the state.

“There is currently no timeline for release,” Duncan tells OL. “CPW 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.”

If CPW decides to re-release the adult female, she will be “closely monitored,” reads an agency FAQ page. “CPW will have conversations with elected officials and ranchers in possible release areas before any release occurs.”

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Officials appear to be in talks for obtaining new wolves, but refuse to make any of the details public. This search follows a lapse in negotiations with the Coville tribe in Eastern Washington, which withdrew an offer to provide 15 wolves after learning Colorado had “failed to consult” with the Southern Ute Tribe on wolf reintroduction.

“CPW is considering several potential source partners that will meet the goals outlined in the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan,” reads the FAQ page. “CPW has not previously commented on such government-to-government negotiations, and will not do so now … publicizing sensitive discussions could impact our ability to come to an agreement.”