Wolf recently released in Colorado dies after crossing into Wyoming amid mitigation efforts

One of Colorado’s recently released wolves has died in north-central Wyoming, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

A press release on the situation reports that a mortality alert was received by the agency on March 16, indicating that a male wolf translocated to the state from British Columbia earlier this year as part of the state’s reintroduction program was dead.

No details were released by Colorado Parks and Wildlife related to the wolf’s cause of death. The press release did, however, state that the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service  (APHIS) has been conducting livestock depredation mitigation efforts in Wyoming after multiple local livestock losses, with an article from Post Independent stating that this wolf was killed as a part of that effort, believed to have killed five sheep.

It’s also worth mentioning that while gray wolves are protected in Colorado, the species can be legally killed in much of Wyoming, thus crossing the state line can be particularly dangerous for a wolf.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife noted that the wolf was part of a group from British Columbia that came from an area where there was no overlap between wolves and livestock, also mentioning that wolves are known to travel long distances in search of food or mates. Once a wolf is reintroduced to Colorado, there’s nothing that stops them from crossing state lines if that’s where their natural movement takes them.

Wolves that are reintroduced into Colorado are fitted with collars that can provide a variety of information, including tracking capabilities and the ability to tell if a wolf has died.

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Photo Credit: hkuchera (iStock). (hkuchera)
Photo Credit: hkuchera (iStock). (hkuchera)

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