Over Half of the Gray Wolves Released into Colorado Since 2023 for Reintroduction Program Have Died

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• On March 13, the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center announced that one of the 25 gray wolves released into the state since 2023 has died.

• The dead gray wolf was the 14th gray wolf to die after being released into the state as part of Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program.

• The death of the 14th wolf is being investigated by state and federal officials

A wild gray wolf in Colorado recently died, the 14th death of a wild wolf released into the state.

According to a statement from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) on Friday, March 13, the agency confirmed the death of Gray Wolf 2310, but details on the cause of the animal’s death remain limited as officials continue to investigate.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife said it is reviewing the death and using standard procedures, including an autopsy, which it expects will help determine the cause of death. As a federally protected species, such surveys often need to be coordinated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The recent losses add to the growing number of gray wolf deaths in Colorado since the state began reintroducing the species in late 2023 after voters approved the Colorado Wolf Recovery and Management Plan, which aims to rebuild Colorado’s self-sustaining gray wolf population through experimental wolves brought in from other parts of North America.

Since the plan was approved, at least 25 wild gray wolves have been introduced to the state from Oregon and British Columbia. However, the survival situation is not balanced. The Colorado Sun report found that more than half of the relocated wolves died within the first two years of the program, raising concerns about long-term viability.

However, state officials warned against jumping to conclusions about what these deaths might mean. A spokesman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife previously said mortality rates should not be overinterpreted “over such a short period of time and such a small sample size,” emphasizing that early losses naturally occur in wildlife reintroduction efforts.

Still, each new death raises growing concerns, especially because the program faces logistical challenges, including delays in bringing more wolves into the state.

The state’s proposed wolf recovery plan calls for the release of 30 to 50 wolves over three to five years, with success measured not just by survival rates but also by the formation of breeding pairs and stable wolf population growth. However, state officials confirmed earlier this year that wolves will no longer be introduced into Colorado’s ecosystem by 2026

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Colorado officials say monitoring of the remaining wolves that have been released into the state will continue as they work to better understand the factors that led to wolf deaths and what that means for the future of reintroduction programs.

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