Colorado wolf pack to be relocated after spate of attacks

Colorado officials are working to relocate a pack of wolves in the state after the animals repeatedly attacked livestock.

“Colorado Parks and Wildlife, with technical support from federal partners, and as provided for in the 10(j) experimental population rule issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), have begun an operation to capture and relocate wolves from the depredating Copper Creek wolf pack,” Colorado Parks & Wildlife said in a press release on Wednesday.

The announcement follows just a week after state officials celebrated the birth of three pups from the Copper Creek pack, which was established after 10 wolves were released in December despite strong opposition from livestock groups. The pack now includes at least two adults.

The attempt to capture the wolves contradicts the state’s wolf management plan. The 2023 document advises against relocations, stating they “have little technical merit” and could cause problems in other areas if the animals continue preying on livestock.

In a statement, CPW Director Jeff Davis said, “the decision to capture and relocate the Copper Creek pack was made with the careful consideration of multiple factors and feedback from many different stakeholders.”

“Our options in this unique case were very limited, and this action is by no means a precedent for how CPW will resolve wolf-livestock conflict moving forward. The ultimate goal of the operation is to relocate the pack to another location while we assess our best options for them to continue to contribute to the successful restoration of wolves in Colorado,” Davis added.

Ranching groups pushed for the wolf pack to be culled, while wildlife advocates argued that more preventive measures, such as electric fencing, should have been used to deter livestock attacks more effectively.

In other states, wolves are routinely hunted by wildlife officials in response to attacks against livestock.

However, last week, CPW spokesperson Travis Duncan said that Colorado sought to capture the wolves instead of killing them because “it’s too early in the process” to reintroduce them.

“We don’t have enough wolves on the landscape to lethally remove” the pack, Duncan said.

State officials did not reveal the location of the capture efforts but confirmed that the operation was being conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Michael Saul with Defenders of Wildlife said that the capture operations are a “big setback” for reintroducing the wolves.

“There are lots of ranchers using existing tools who are living with wolves and not having this problem,” Saul said.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.