Illegal Killing of Reintroduced Wolf Sparks Investigation in Colorado
GRAND COUNTY, Colo. — A recent necropsy of a reintroduced wolf in Colorado has revealed that it died from a gunshot wound, prompting an investigation into what the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) calls an "illegal killing." The wolf, known as 2309-OR, was part of the Copper Creek Pack relocation initiative, designed to bolster the state’s wolf population, a project last approved in May 2023. Under the Endangered Species Act, gray wolves in Colorado are protected and cannot be killed without specific federal authorization.
Captured in August, the adult male wolf was relocated after multiple livestock depredations were reported in Grand County. While five other wolves in the operation were found to be in good health, wolf 2309-OR exhibited serious injuries and was underweight—30% less than its release weight. Following its transport to an undisclosed, secure enclosure, the wolf was soon discovered to have died on September 3.
This marks the second confirmed death of a wolf from the December 2023 reintroduction initiative, following another wolf that perished likely due to a mountain lion attack a few months earlier. Despite the mortality, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) maintains that losing three of the ten reintroduced wolves in one year falls within the normal survival rates for the species.
In response to the illegal killing, the USFWS is offering a monetary reward for information, and the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project has pledged an additional $50,000 for tips leading to the arrest of those responsible. Violators face fines up to $100,000, one year of imprisonment, or both, alongside potential lifetime restrictions on hunting privileges.
CPW plans to capture and release up to 15 more wolves from British Columbia between January and March 2025, as efforts to reestablish wolf populations in Colorado continue.