Another one of Colorado's wolves has died, shortly after capture for relocation

On September 9, Colorado Parks and Wildlife provided the public with an update related to the relocation of the state's lone wolf pack, also sharing the news that one of the two adult wolves in the pack has died.

According to the agency, when the Copper Creek pack was captured for relocation – with the pack including a male adult, a female adult, and four pups – the adult male was discovered to have injuries on its right hind leg that were unrelated to its capture. Its body weight was also close to 30 percent lower than it was when it was released in December. Antibiotics were administered to the wolf to help it fight infection. Despite efforts to save the wolf, four days after its initial relocation, a mortality signal was transmitted from its collar. The wolf was then confirmed to be deceased.

A post-mortem examination is still to be conducted, though officials have said that it was unlikely the wolf would have survived for long in the wild given the condition it was in. What may have caused the injuries to its leg were not addressed in a press release on the matter.

The remaining members of the pack have been released in a secure enclosure with limited human interaction in hopes of balancing the pack's and the public's needs. The mating pair of the pack was previously blamed for more than a dozen livestock killings, though the pups are not believed to have been involved. The pair's establishing of a den is one reason why officials delayed removing the male wolf that was involved in these depredations, as the male wolf would have been providing the sole source of food for the mother and offspring.

When the four pups of the pack were captured, they were found to be underweight but otherwise healthy. Their mother was also described as healthy. That said, August and September can be difficult months for wolves given the fitness level of prey, thus Colorado Parks and Wildlife will be holding the wolves at their current location to ensure that caloric needs are met and that the animals are in healthy condition prior to a true re-release.

At this point, the pups are still unable to hunt large animals. Presumably, officials will wait for the pups to become adequate hunters prior to their release with the US Fish and Wildlife Service reporting that wolves can start helping with a hunt of big game at about six months of age, becoming fully grown and capable by about one-and-a-half years of age. For reference, the initial announcement related to the birth of the pups in the Copper Creek pack was made in June.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife has stated that they will not be sharing the current nor future location of the pack with the public for the safety of the animals and staff.

The death of the patriarch of the Copper Creek pack follows one other wolf death that has occurred among the group of animals that was intentionally brought into the state last December. That prior death is believed to be related to an attack by a mountain lion .

At this point, it's believed that there are 14 wolves in Colorado – eight adults that were reintroduced, two adults that naturally migrated into Colorado from Wyoming, and four pups.

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