Seven Reintroduced Wolves Dead in Colorado Program

A female gray wolf, part of the 15 relocated from British Columbia to Colorado, was found dead in northwest Colorado, raising the total number of reintroduced wolves that have died since the program began in December 2023 to at least seven. The cause of this wolf's death is under investigation by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, pending a necropsy. Four of the original Canadian wolves released in January 2025 have died from a combination of management actions, natural causes, and cases still being investigated. Despite these losses, the survival rate remains at 73%, meeting the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan's target of at least 70% survival in the first six months. The reintroduction program, launched after Colorado voters approved Proposition 114 in 2020, aims to establish a self-sustaining wolf population while balancing human and livestock interests. Officials stress that the observed mortalities do not signal failure of the program.