DENVER, COLORADO — Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) announced the completion of its second year of gray wolf reintroduction efforts on Colorado’s Western Slope, a major milestone in the state’s contentious wolf restoration program. According to a press release from CPW, a total of 15 gray wolves from British Columbia were translocated to Colorado, alongside the release of five wolves from the Copper Creek Pack, previously captured and held by the agency. These efforts, carried out in Eagle and Pitkin Counties earlier this month, mark the second of at least three planned annual reintroduction efforts.
The program, mandated by Colorado voters through Proposition 114 in 2020, aims to establish a self-sustaining gray wolf population in the state by 2028. However, the initiative has faced significant opposition from some rural communities, livestock producers, and conservation groups who remain concerned about the ecological, agricultural, and operational aspects of wolf reintroduction.
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2025 Translocations: Wolves from British Columbia
Over six days in January, CPW captured 15 wolves—seven males and eight females—from British Columbia, an area where predator reduction efforts are underway to support caribou recovery. After veterinary care and monitoring, the wolves were flown to Colorado in three groups and released at night on January 12, 14, and 16 in Eagle and Pitkin Counties. January 12 coincided with the 30th anniversary of the first reintroduction of wolves from Canada to Yellowstone National Park in 1995—a symbolic moment underscoring the interconnected nature of wolf conservation in North America.
The logistical and scientific effort was complex. CPW partnered with the British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship (WLRS), veterinary teams, and LightHawk, a conservation-focused aviation nonprofit that donated over 30 hours of flight time to transport the wolves. The translocations followed strict protocols under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and British Columbia’s Wildlife Act. Wolves were vaccinated, treated for parasites, and fitted with GPS collars before their release.
Despite these precautions, one wolf died shortly after capture due to pre-existing conditions, prompting CPW to emphasize its commitment to animal welfare. The selected wolves were screened to ensure they had no history of livestock predation and no major health issues such as mange or serious injuries.
Copper Creek Pack Re-Release
In addition to the wolves brought from British Columbia, CPW reintroduced five members of the Copper Creek Pack—a female and her four pups—on January 18. The pack had been captured in 2024 after repeated livestock depredations in North Park, where the male wolf of the pack had been lethally removed. At the time, CPW faced heavy criticism from both ranchers, who questioned the agency’s ability to address wolf-livestock conflicts, and conservationists, who objected to the pack’s removal.
The pups were released alongside their mother to maximize their survival chances and provide them an opportunity to learn hunting behaviors in the wild. CPW Director Jeff Davis emphasized that the decision to re-release the pack does not set a precedent for how future conflicts will be addressed, but was necessary given the unique circumstances.
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Challenges and Criticism of the Program
CPW’s wolf reintroduction program has been under intense scrutiny, both for its handling of wolf-livestock conflicts and for the secrecy surrounding release locations. According to CPW, this year’s release details were withheld until the operation concluded due to safety concerns for staff and the animals. Threats, social media monitoring of CPW offices, and two instances of illegal wolf shootings in 2023 prompted heightened security measures.
The agency reiterated that killing a gray wolf in Colorado is illegal under both the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and state law. Penalties for poaching include fines up to $100,000, jail time, and loss of hunting privileges.
Ranchers and agricultural groups have expressed concerns about the potential for increased livestock predation as wolf populations grow, despite CPW’s Conflict Minimization Program, which offers resources such as non-lethal deterrents and compensation for losses.
“While the tools are helpful, there’s still no guarantee that wolves will stay away from cattle or sheep, especially during calving season,” said Mark Carter, a rancher from North Park who experienced livestock losses in 2024.
Conservation groups, meanwhile, have raised concerns about the transparency of CPW’s operations and the adequacy of funding to support long-term monitoring and conflict resolution. Some have also questioned the decision to source wolves from British Columbia, citing potential genetic differences from the original population of wolves that historically roamed Colorado.
Historical and Regional Context
Gray wolves were extirpated from Colorado in the 1940s, primarily due to federal predator control programs. Their reintroduction marks a turning point in restoring balance to Colorado’s ecosystems. Advocates point to Yellowstone’s recovery as an example of how wolves can reshape landscapes by controlling overpopulated prey species like elk and deer, which often overbrowse vegetation.
However, Colorado presents unique challenges not faced in Yellowstone. The state’s landscape is more fragmented, with significant overlap between wolf habitat and working ranchlands. CPW’s restoration effort has highlighted the tension between ecological conservation and the economic realities of rural communities.
British Columbia’s robust gray wolf population—estimated at 5,300 to 11,600 individuals—allowed the province to support Colorado’s reintroduction efforts without jeopardizing its own ecosystem. But while wolves have thrived in British Columbia, their reintroduction in Colorado is far more complex, given the state’s higher population density and political polarization over wolf conservation.
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Looking Ahead
With two years of reintroductions complete, CPW has no plans for further releases during the 2024-2025 season. Instead, the agency will focus on monitoring the newly released wolves and expanding non-lethal conflict mitigation strategies for ranchers. CPW officials remain optimistic that the program is on track to meet its goal of establishing a sustainable wolf population by 2028, but acknowledge that the coming years will require ongoing collaboration with communities, livestock owners, and conservation groups.
“Our goal is to keep ranchers ranching, while restoring a healthy, sustainable population of gray wolves to Colorado,” said Davis.
As wolf populations grow and spread across the Western Slope, their impact on Colorado’s ecosystems and rural communities will continue to evolve. The success of the program will depend not only on the health and behavior of the reintroduced wolves but also on the ability of CPW and its partners to balance ecological restoration with the livelihoods of the people who share the landscape with these apex predators.
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