DENVER — Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) biologists announced Sunday that they have observed the GPS locations of a collared gray wolf south of Interstate 70 for the first time.
CPW said this movement was anticipated as the reintroduced animals — needing food, large wild landscapes, and space from humans — explore the state.
The agency said in a news release that as their population grows, they will establish new territories and expand widely, thriving in various habitats with available prey.
"Wolves are habitat generalists, meaning they do not have specific habitat requirements that determine where they can live," CPW spokesman Travis Duncan told Denver7 in July. "As long as prey is available, wolves can use a variety of areas."
In June, a camera on Vail Pass spotted one of the wolves reintroduced in Colorado near I-70, where groups are advocating for a wildlife crossing.
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The I-70 Mountain Corridor is known to be a barrier for wildlife, as “it splits landscapes in half,” according to Dr. Stefan Ekernas, director of Colorado field conservation for the Denver Zoo’s Conservation Alliance.
CPW said that wolves could be reintroduced south of the interstate in the future, but locations and plans have not been finalized.
Colorado’s Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan outlines the goal of translocating 10 to 15 gray wolves per year for a total of 30 to 50 wolves over three to five years.
The plan illustrated a northern zone and southern zone where the wolves may be released as part of this multi-year plan. The second wolf release this winter will be once again in the northern zone.
Wildlife officials told Scripps News Denver in an exclusive interview in September that it had reached an agreement with the British Columbia Ministry of Water, Lands and Resource Stewardship in Canada to obtain wolves for the translocation from that region. Between December 2024 and March 2025, up to 15 wolves will be captured from the Canadian province and translocated to Colorado.
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Some aspects of this upcoming reintroduction will stay the same as last year, when CPW captured wolves from Oregon to transport to Colorado:
- The wolves will be tested and treated for any diseases at the source site (Wolves with major injuries do not meet the requirements for reintroduction)
- The wolves will have GPS collars placed on them
- The wolves will be transported in sturdy crates to Colorado by airplane and/or truck
- The wolves will be released in Colorado as soon as possible to minimize stress
CPW encourages anyone who believes they have seen a wolf to fill out the wolf sighting form on the agency's website. In addition to the form, members of the public can also find information on living and recreating in areas where wolves live.
