Colorado wolf spends time in Rocky Mountain National Park
DENVER (KDVR) — One of Colorado’s reintroduced gray wolves made its way into Rocky Mountain National Park over the past month, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
The gray wolf movement map for July 23 through Aug. 27 shows that all of the wolves have remained north of Interstate 70. CPW said one of the wolves spent “some time inside the boundaries” of RMNP. The park is located west of Estes Park and contains portions of Boulder, Grand and Larimer counties.
Colorado wildlife officials to relocate Copper Creek wolf pack
While that may seem close to some of the Front Range’s communities, the movement map shows no movement close to Boulder County, and the wolf would have likely been inside portions of the park in Larimer County.
There are nine reintroduced, adult wolves still alive in Colorado, alongside two others that migrated into the state naturally. The state released five wolves into Grand County and five wolves into Summit County in December.
One of the 10 reintroduced wolves was killed earlier this year in an attack that officials have attributed to a mountain lion. There are also new wolf pups in Colorado — at least three — which CPW biologists have confirmed and named the Copper Creek pack.
This map shows collared gray wolf activity recorded by CPW from July 24 through Aug. 27. (Courtesy Colorado Parks and Wildlife) This map shows collared gray wolf activity recorded by CPW from May 21 through June 25, 2024. (Courtesy Colorado Parks and Wildlife) This map shows collared gray wolf activity recorded by CPW from April 23 through May 21. (Courtesy Colorado Parks and Wildlife) This map shows collared gray wolf activity recorded by CPW from March 26 through April 23, 2024. (Courtesy Colorado Parks and Wildlife) This map shows collared gray wolf activity recorded by CPW from Feb. 28 to March 25, 2024. (Courtesy Colorado Parks and Wildlife) Colorado Parks and Wildlife is tracking two wolves that have made their way into Moffatt County. A map shows where 12 collared wolves have been over the last month. (Map: Colorado Parks and Wildlife) This map shows collared gray wolf activity recorded by CPW from Dec. 18, 2023 to Jan. 22, 2024. (Courtesy Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
The National Park Service was prepared for the eventuality of wolves returning to RMNP, where wolves are native. According to the RMNP website, the extirpation of wolves was one of several environmental stressors that led to the degradation of the park’s wetland ecosystem. Wolves inside RMNP are under the federal authority of the National Park Service while working alongside CPW.
The news comes shortly after CPW said it would be capturing and relocating the Copper Creek pack of wolves, citing livestock depredations, or loss or injury of livestock from wolf attacks.
“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,” said CPW Director Jeff Davis in a statement released Tuesday. ”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.”
Colorado ranchers wary after video of wolf pups surfaces
Where CPW will relocate the wolves was not shared, which CPW said was for the safety of wolves and biologists. CPW’s monthly movement map of the wolves uses the general watersheds that the collared wolves have been tracked in, which allows the state to share information while keeping specific wolf locations a secret.
CPW says on its wolf movement website that once wolf populations become established, the agency will develop “territory maps” showing where wolf packs have primarily inhabited the state. Anyone who thinks they may have spotted a wolf can report the sighting to CPW online here.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.