MOFFAT COUNTY — Colorado Parks and Wildlife reported Wednesday that they have additional evidence that a group of wolves is now residing in northwest Colorado.
CPW said that on Jan. 19, wildlife officers investigated an animal carcass surrounded by large, wolf-like tracks in the northwest corner of Moffat County. The officers reported that while they were conducting their investigation in the field, they heard distinct howls in the area.
"Right after our two officers heard the howls from the wolves, they used binoculars to observe approximately six wolves about two miles from the location of the carcass," said JT Romatzke, Northwest Region Manager for CPW. "After watching them for about 20 minutes, the officers rode in to get a closer look. The wolves were gone but they found plenty of large tracks in the area.”
According to the officers that investigated the scene, the tracks measured approximately 4.5 to 5.5 inches and appear to have been made by at least six animals.
"As we have made clear, Colorado Parks and Wildlife will not take direct action in these cases," said Dan Prenzlow, Director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife. "We have the leading experts on wildlife management and species recovery working for our agency, but while wolves remain federally protected, they are under the jurisdiction of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. We will continue to work with our federal partners and monitor the situation."
According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, killing a wolf can result in federal charges, including a $100,000 fine and a year in prison, per offense. The public is urged to contact CPW immediately and fill out a report if they see or hear wolves or find evidence of any wolf activity in Colorado.
The wolf sighting form can be found here.
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