COLORADO, USA — Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) said on Monday they have captured all six wolves from the Copper Creek pack and that one of the wolves died shortly afterward.
The operation was part of an effort by CPW to relocate the pack after wolves killed livestock.
CPW said they first captured an adult female, identified as 2312-OR, and that she was in good condition; however, an adult male, 2309-OR, was not.
The male wolf was found in poor condition, according to CPW. He was underweight, with his bodyweight 30% lower than it was when he was released in December. He also had several injuries to his right hind leg, which CPW said were unrelated to the capture. In a Zoom call with reporters on Monday, agency directors said they don't believe the injuries were human caused.
CPW said their staff tried to treat the male wolf with antibiotics to address infections from his injury, but he died four days later. The agency said that the wolf likely would not have survived for long in the wild. CPW said they will conduct a full necropsy to determine what contributed to the wolf's death, the results of which could take between 45-60 days.
All four of the pack's pups – 2401, 2403, 2405, and 2402 – were captured over the course of three days. CPW said they found the pups were underweight and otherwise healthy. Three of the pups were captured on video in August playing in the middle of a dirt road.
The Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan states that CPW will not relocate wolves with a history of preying on livestock into the wild within Colorado.
That being said, the agency said there's no evidence that the four pups were involved in any of the livestock depredation incidents in Grand County. According to CPW, the pups are still primarily dependent on adult wolves for food because they still have their baby teeth and can't hunt anything larger than a rabbit or squirrel.
CPW said they will continue to assess the female's 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 gives the agency an opportunity to release young wolves into the wild together so they can contribute to wolf restoration in Colorado. The agency said it will have conversations with local elected officials and landowners in possible release areas before a release occurs.
By holding the wolves, CPW can make sure the wolves are healthy before they're released, which Deputy Director Reid DeWalt said would happen in December or January when the pups are bigger. Holding them also gives CPW the chance to collar the pups and monitor them post-release.
CPW Director Jeff Davis said in a statement that the pack wasn't captured sooner, when the depredations occurred in the spring, because the adult pair was denning.
"Removing the male at that time, while he was the sole source of food and the female was denning, would likely have been fatal to the pups and counter to the restoration mandate,” Davis said.
The reintroduction of wolves to Colorado has been a contentious issue for farmers and ranchers in the areas of wolf release. Davis said the agency is working with wildlife veterinarians, federal partners and ranchers to create a plan to deal with this unique situation that Davis said is in the best interest of the wolves and Grand County producers.
“We are still in the early stages of the restoration plan. Our legal obligation to Colorado voters is to continue working towards a sustainable population. We also must continue our efforts to minimize losses to our producers and to ensure the health, safety and well-being of the wolves as we work towards a viable gray wolf population,” Davis said in a statement on Monday.
“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. 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,” Davis said.
In a CPW roundtable meeting Monday, DeWalt said while the Copper Creek pack has gotten the most attention, there are other packs in Colorado that are doing fine.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Gov. Jared Polis sent 9NEWS a statement on the wolf situation.
“While the Governor did not have a position on Prop 114, like any popular initiative that becomes law, Governor Polis is committed to upholding the will of Colorado voters and the successful implementation of the unanimously adopted Wolf Management Plan, and this action is part of that implementation," it reads. "The Governor thanks CPW for their work on wolf reintroduction and preventing conflicts, and was briefed by CPW leading up to and throughout this action as he would be with any state agency and their leadership who are a part of his cabinet. The Governor stands by Colorado Parks and Wildlife in the implementation of the Wolf Management Plan, including this successful action.”
Timeline of Copper Creek pack capture operation as recorded by CPW:
CPW began the operation to capture and relocate wolves from the depredating Copper Creek wolf pack on Aug. 22 with help from federal partners.
- The adult female 2312-OR was captured on Aug. 25.
- The adult male 2309-OR was captured on Aug. 29 and died on Sep. 3.
- The male pup 2401 was captured on Sep. 3.
- Male pups 2403 and 2405 were captured on Sep. 4.
- The female pup 2402 was captured on Sep. 5.
For the safety of these animals and staff, CPW said it will not be sharing the location of the pack. The agency told the press they do not have an estimate for how much it will cost to hold the wolves until re-release.