Second Wave of Gray Wolves Released in Colorado Amid Controversy

Despite opposition from local ranchers, the state plans to reintroduce 30 to 50 wolves over the next five years.

Colorado has released a second wave of five gray wolves, bringing the total to ten under a voter-approved reintroduction program.
The wolves were captured in Oregon and released into Colorado wilderness in an effort to reintroduce the species to the Rocky Mountains region.
Local ranchers have opposed the program, fearing a revitalized wolf population could threaten their livestock, but a federal judge dismissed their legal claims.
Colorado officials plan to release a third tranche of five additional wolves by March, with an aim to reintroduce 30 to 50 wolves over the next five years.
The reintroduction program has sharpened divides between rural and urban residents, with city and suburban residents largely voting in support of reintroduction into rural areas.