3rd reintroduced wolf found dead; 2nd this month

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to accurately reflect the tribe and timeline of the rescinded wolf reintroduction agreement.

DENVER (KDVR) — A third reintroduced gray wolf has died in Colorado, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

That means only seven of the 10 reintroduced wolves are surviving , although the Copper Creek wolf pack includes four pups that were born here .

CPW said the agency received a mortality signal from the wolf’s GPS collar on Sept. 9 and confirmed the wolf’s death on Sept. 10.

“While this is sad news, these types of restoration efforts consider anticipated mortalities in our planning and a degree of wolf mortality, just like for any wildlife, is expected both during restoration efforts and on an ongoing basis,” said CPW Director Jeff Davis in the agency’s announcement.

The wolf’s death will be investigated by CPW and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service because gray wolves are a federally listed species under the Endangered Species Act. CPW did not include any indication in its Thursday announcement of what led to the wolf’s death, but previous wolf deaths were connected to injuries.

Two wolves suffered injuries before death: Reports

The first of the reintroduced gray wolf deaths was announced on April 18 in Larimer County. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service necropsy was completed, and found that the wolf died of trauma consistent with predation, and said the puncture wounds in the wolf’s skull were consistent with those “typically inflicted by a mountain lion.”

The second wolf death was announced earlier this week and occurred in captivity. That wolf, the male adult in the Copper Creek pack, was taken into captivity on Aug. 29 after repeated livestock depredations in the area caused conflict between CPW’s restoration efforts and livestock producers.

CPW reported that this wolf had several injuries to his right hind leg, which had been inflicted before capture efforts. CPW said the wolf’s body weight was also almost 30% below what he weighed when released in December. The agency said staff members administered antibiotics to address the infections, but four days after he was transported, the wolf’s collar transmitted a mortality signal.

Biologists confirmed the wolf died on Tuesday, Sept. 3, and said they did not believe the wolf would have survived for long in the wild, either. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was contacted and a third party will conduct a full necropsy, according to CPW.

Reintroduction plan calls for more wolves to be released

Colorado’s wolf reintroduction plan calls for the transfer of 30 to 50 wolves over a 3-5 year time frame. CPW has released 10 so far through an agreement with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The agency had established an agreement with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, but the original agreement was rescinded. Joseph Livingston, a CPW public information officer, said on Aug. 2 that the rescinded agreement doesn’t preclude the possibility of a future arrangement. He said the council and the Tribal Government and Natural Resources Committees had concerns regarding tribal relations but the groups will continue to address those concerns together.

“Naturally, the decision made by the Colville Business Council and the Tribal Government and Natural Resources Committees is disappointing, but we have a strong relationship with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and hope to continue these conversations in the future,” said Colorado Parks and Wildlife Director Jeff Davis said in early August.

“We will continue working with other potential sources for wolves to further our efforts to restore wolves to Colorado,” Davis added at the time. “We are not contemplating halting our implementation of the plan and will continue in our efforts to restore a sustainable population of wolves to the state while avoiding and minimizing impacts to our critically important agricultural industries and rural communities.”

CPW has said previously that it will not share the active locations of the wolves, including where the Copper Creek pack is being held at this point, and will not share the location of the wolves’ re-release once the time comes.

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