4 days ago
1
PROTECT YOUR DNA WITH QUANTUM TECHNOLOGY
Orgo-Life the new way to the future Advertising by AdpathwayDENVER (KDVR) — Colorado Parks and Wildlife released the Colorado Gray Wolf Annual Report for 2024 to 2025.
The report documents several studies in areas, including:
- Status of gray wolves
- Wolf management
- Wolf monitoring
- Research related to wolves
- Education and outreach in Colorado during the year
The biological year was recorded from April 2, 2024, to March 31, 2025.
The report outlines the restoration plan, which will be a multi-year effort that intends to release 10 to 15 wolves per year for three to five years.
The wolves are released in the location west of the Continental Divide, with a 60-mile buffer from Tribal lands to the south and the northern and western borders of the state.
The first year for reintroduction efforts began in 2023, meaning the program was in effect for its second year in the 2024-2025 biological year.
Restoration is tracked in three different phases:
- Capture
- Translocation
- Release
Capture
An agreement was signed between CPW and the British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship to transfer up to 15 wolves from British Columbia to Colorado. The capture effort began on Jan. 10. Five wolves were captured between Jan. 10 and 11 and released on Jan. 12. Five more were captured on Jan. 12 and 13 and released on Jan. 14. The final five were captured on Jan. 14 and 15 and released on Jan. 16.
Translocation
All 15 of the wolves were transported to Colorado via a private aircraft. A private pilot volunteered the use of the aircraft through the LightHawk Conservation Flying organization.
The wolves were transported in three separate shipments in aluminum crates lined with hay and ice blocks.
None of the wolves were sedated, and all handled the trip without any incidents.
Release
| Wolf ID | Sex | Age at capture | Coat color | Capture in BC date | Release date in CO |
| 2501-BC | Male | 3 | Gray | Jan. 10, 2025. | Jan. 12, 2025. |
| 2502-BC | Female | 4 | Black | Jan. 10, 2025. | Jan. 12, 2025. |
| 2503-BC | Male | 3 | Gray | Jan. 10, 2025. | Jan. 12, 2025. |
| 2504-BC | Female | 1 | Gray | Jan. 12, 2025. | Jan. 14, 2025. |
| 2505-BC | Male | 3 | Gray | Jan. 11, 2025. | Jan. 12, 2025. |
| 2506-BC | Female | 1 | Gray | Jan. 11, 2025. | Jan. 12, 2025. |
| 2507-BC | Male | 1 | Gray | Jan. 12, 2025. | Jan. 14, 2025. |
| 2508-BC | Female | 1 | Gray | Jan. 13, 2025. | Jan. 14, 2025. |
| 2509-BC | Male | 4 | Gray | Jan. 13, 2025. | Jan. 14, 2025. |
| 2510-BC | Female | 5 | Black | Jan. 14, 2025. | Jan. 16, 2025. |
| 2511-BC | Male | 1 | Gray | Jan. 13, 2025. | Jan. 14, 2025. |
| 2512-BC | Female | 1 | Black | Jan. 14, 2025. | Jan. 16, 2025. |
| 2513-BC | Male | 1 | Gray | Jan. 15, 2025. | Jan. 16, 2025. |
| 2514-BC | Female | 1 | Gray | Jan. 15, 2025. | Jan. 16, 2025. |
| 2515-BC | Female | 4 | Gray | Jan. 15, 2025. | Jan. 16, 2025. |
Copper Creek Pack relocation
Due to depredation issues, wolves in the Copper Creek pack were captured and temporarily moved to a facility. The capture efforts were conducted in August and September of 2024.
The parent wolves and four pups were captured, with the father dying from an injury acquired before the capture. One pup was not captured. The mother and the pups were rereleased in January of 2025.
Wolf deaths
CPW reported that five wolf deaths occurred, and that 15 known wolves were in Colorado at the end of 2024.
| Wolf ID | Date of death | Cause of death | Pack at death | Age at death |
| Uncollared | April 3, 2024. | Entrapment | None | Adult |
| 2303-OR | April 18, 2024. | Interspecific | None | 2 |
| 2307-OR | Sept. 9, 2024. | Interspecific | None | 3.4 |
| 2309-OR | Sept. 3, 2024. | USFWS investigation ongoing | Copper Creek | 3.4 |
| 2505-BC | March 16, 2025. | Control action in Wyoming | None | 3.9 |
CPW said that 75% of the adult wolves in Colorado survived the biological year.
Conflict minimization
CPW kept a record of the times that conflict minimization efforts were made, with CPW providing the following data:
| County | Site assessments | Outreach | Scare device | Carcass management | Fladry | Range riding | Night watch | Total |
| Chaffee | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Delta | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Eagle | 22 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 |
| Fremont | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Garfield | 52 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 57 |
| Grand | 9 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 22 |
| Gunnison | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Jackson | 2 | 1 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 22 |
| Larimer | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Mesa | 24 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 28 |
| Moffat | 35 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 |
| Park | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Pitkin | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Rio Blanco | 19 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Routt | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Summit | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Total | 215 | 12 | 25 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 275 |
Depredation events
| Damage dates | Number of animals | Type of livestock | Amount paid |
| April 2, 2024. | 1 | Cattle | $1,784.84 |
| April 7, 2024. | 1 | Cattle | $1,514.00 |
| April 17 to Sept. 5, 2024. | 6 and 9 | Cattle and sheep | $15,023.68 |
| May 2, 2024. | 1 | Cattle | $1,171.59 |
| June 9, 2024. | 1 | Cattle | $1,636.07 |
| July 7, 2024. | 1 | Cattle | $1,141.17 |
| July 19, 2024. | 1 | Cattle | $1,798.59 |
| July 19, 2024. | 7 | Missing cattle | $12,590.13 |
| Sept. 9, 2024. | 3 | cattle | $5,385.35 |
| Feb. 5, 2025. | 1 | cattle | $2,097.66 |
| Total | 32 | $44,143.08 |
For more information and to view the full gray wolf report, visit the CPW website.
English (US) · 
French (CA) · 
French (FR) ·