Colorado Halts Winter Wolf Releases After Federal Block on Canadian Sourcing

Overview

• Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed there will be no additional releases this winter and said it will explore options for next winter.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service moved in October to stop sourcing wolves from British Columbia and warned in December it could assume control without a full accounting, which the state says it submitted.
• A reintroduced female, identified as 2504, was found dead in northwest Colorado, with the cause to be determined by a federal necropsy.
• Officials report 11 of the 25 translocated wolves have died, with a previous agency lethal removal bringing total deaths since reintroduction began to 12, dropping measured survival to about 56% below the plan’s 70% benchmark.
• Biologists track 19 collared wolves and at least 10 pups as the state faces sourcing hurdles, including Washington’s recent denial and a withdrawn Colville tribal agreement after earlier releases from Oregon and British Columbia.