WildEarth Guardians celebrates one-year anniversary of Colorado wolf reintroduction

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For Immediate Release: December 16, 2024
Media Contacts: Lindsay Larris, WildEarth Guardians, [email protected]
WildEarth Guardians celebrates one-year anniversary of Colorado wolf reintroduction

Focusing on three practices will help ensure long-term restoration success
DENVER — On December 18, 2023, the State of Colorado released five wolves into western Colorado, sourced from Oregon. The release of these wild wolves was the beginning of a voter-mandated reintroduction process that returned an important part of
Colorado’s natural heritage back to the state. Five more wolves were released shortly after.
Colorado was first robbed of its wild wolves 80 years ago, after commercial livestock owners created bounties to kill off the native animals through trapping, poisoning, and shooting. “The reintroduction of wolves to Colorado righted a historical wrong done to Coloradans and our outdoors,” said Lindsay Larris, Conservation Director for WildEarth Guardians. “We are thrilled that we can once again hear the howl of wolves in our state, back where they belong. Coloradans are enriched because of it, and wolves help
make our environment healthier.” Wolves and other carnivores play an important role in maintaining the health of the
outdoors, by preventing the overpopulation of browsing and grazing animals, such as elk and deer. By managing elk and deer numbers, wolves allow more vegetation to grow and support our waterways. Wolves also help manage the spread of disease
among these animals, by removing sick and injured individuals. Modeling done by scientists at Colorado State University suggests that wolves may help lower the occurrence of chronic wasting disease (CWD). All told, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has released 10 wild wolves into western Colorado over the past year. The ability of these wolves to successfully adapt to their Colorado home was revealed by a wild-born litter of pups appearing in just the first summer. A video of these pups playing was shared by the Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife in one of its most popular social media posts of the year. “The popularity of those wolf pups on social media speaks to how much Coloradans value having wolves in our state,” noted Larris. “But true restoration of wolves and their beneficial role to Colorado’s outdoors will require addressing several remaining
challenges.” Larris outlined three critical practices for CPW, land owners, outdoor recreationists, and commercial livestock owners should focus on over the next year to ensure long-term successful restoration for wolves in Colorado.
1. Prioritize native wildlife over domestic livestock on public lands: Forty-three percent of Colorado is public land owned by citizens, and managed in trust by the federal and state government. This 23 million acres of land is larger than the state of Indiana, and represents more than enough land for wolves and other native wildlife to thrive– if their survival is prioritized over the profits of private livestock operations. Today there are 2.8 million cows in Colorado and fewer than 9 wolves in the wild. When conflicts arise between native wolves and non- native livestock on public lands, the survival of wolves should take precedence in order to support the public’s intent and investment in wolf restoration. Any losses to commercial livestock profits can be offset by the generous compensation program managed by CPW.
2. Mandatory adoption of science-backed coexistence tools: Landowners and commercial livestock operators should use scientifically-proven methods to avoid conflicts between wolves and livestock. An all-hands on deck approach including
the use of range riders, fladry, diversionary feeding, nonlethal injurious hazing tools, and animal husbandry practices that limit livestock vulnerability should be pursued to ensure long-term restoration success.
3. Biologists should lead wolf conservation, not commercial interests or politicians: Biologists are trusted professionals who are most knowledgeable about wildlife biology and conservation. To successfully achieve wolf restoration in the state, biologists should be establishing scientifically-proven practices and informing wolf management policies. Allowing private commercial interests or politicians to influence wolf restoration and management practices will only prolong the restoration effort.
Larris offered final thoughts on her hopes for successful wolf restoration in Colorado. “The State has done a lot of work preparing livestock owners for wolves as well as ensuring that there will be ample compensation in the event of unfortunate livestock loss. This thoughtful planning will hopefully allow us, collectively, to focus on the positive impacts of wolf restoration across the state. I’m confident that Colorado can and will serve as an example of how the reintroduction of native species can be done to benefit people, wildlife, and the natural world we all rely upon for our survival.”

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WildEarth Guardians is a conservation nonprofit whose mission is to protect and restore the wildlife, wild places, wild rivers, and health of the American West. Guardians has offices in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington, and over 179,000 members and supporters worldwide.