Colorado Getting More Canadian Wolves

Photo Credit: kjekol_Envato

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) kicked off capture operations of gray wolves in British Columbia last Friday as part of its 2025 capture season in support of the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan.   The agreement with the B.C. Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship allows up to 15 wolves to be translocated and released in Colorado on the Western Slope this year. The operation could last for up to two weeks. 

CPW believes adding wolves from British Columbia to the existing population in Colorado will increase the likelihood of pairing, breeding and pack formation. Established wolf packs defend territories, which will allow CPW to monitor patterns within a territory and will improve the agency’s ability to collaborate with producers on active behavior and coexistence strategies to best protect livestock.

Wolf selection will follow the guidance of the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan. Animals with major injuries—such as several broken canines, missing eyes, fractured or missing limbs, or mange or lice infection—will not be chosen for reintroduction. This selection process is crucial to ensure the health and adaptability of the reintroduced wolves to their new environment. CPW will not translocate wolves from B.C. that are from packs currently involved in situations of repeated livestock depredations.

The capture operations follow work on a number of wolf-livestock conflict minimization measures, including a range rider program, a definition of chronic depredation, the development of a depredation response operations team, effective non-lethal tools, a site assessment program, a carcass removal program, and a communications plan.

• British Columbia has an abundant gray wolf population, estimated to be in the range of 5,300 to 11,600 animals. They are widely distributed throughout the province and their status is not currently considered to be a conservation concern. 
• Wolves will be examined and provided treatment for possible diseases and infections at the source sites.
• Collars will be placed on wolves, which will inform CPW about the behaviors and survival of reintroduced animals.
• Wolves will be transported in crates to Colorado via aircraft.
• Wolves will be released at select sites in Colorado as soon as possible once they arrive in the state to minimize stress on the animals.
• Gray wolves from this area of B.C. do not overlap with areas where livestock are present, so there are no concerns about reintroducing wolves that are from packs that are involved in situations of repeated livestock depredations.

Press releases will be available on cpw.state.co.us/news. Subscribe to receive CPW press releases using the online form or follow CPW’s Facebook page. To find the latest information on wolves in Colorado and movement activity maps, visit CPW’s Wolves in Colorado web page and sign up for the monthly Gray Wolf Reintroduction eNews.