Amid Livestock Attacks Colorado Wolves to be Relocated After Just a Year

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Less than a year after gray wolves were reintroduced into the wild in Colorado, state officials are now taking steps to relocate the first breeding pack, known as the Copper Creek pack, following reports of livestock attacks. The decision, announced by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) on Tuesday, involves moving two of the 10 wolves originally released, along with the three pups they had this year. This move comes as a potential setback for Colorado’s ambitious reintroduction program, a contentious effort narrowly approved by a 2020 referendum.

Breaking! Colorado’s Copper Creek Wolf Pack Will Be Relocated Due To Mounting Pressure From Ranchers 💔🐺

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— World Animal News (@WorldAnimalNews) August 29, 2024

 

Gray wolves, once native to Colorado, were eradicated from the state by the mid-1940s. Their reintroduction reignited tensions between ranchers, who view the wolves as a threat to their livestock, and conservationists, who advocate for the ecological benefits these predators bring. While wolves are responsible for a small percentage of livestock deaths, the arrival of wolves from neighboring states has previously led to incidents of livestock being killed or injured.

 

In December 2023, ten gray wolves were released on public lands in Summit and Grand Counties as part of the reintroduction program. Jeff Davis, director of CPW, stated that the decision to relocate the Copper Creek pack was made after “careful consideration of multiple factors” and emphasized that this should not be seen as a precedent for how future wolf-livestock conflicts will be handled. “The ultimate goal of the operation is to relocate the pack to another location while we assess our best options for them to continue to contribute to the successful restoration of wolves in Colorado,” Davis said. For the safety of both the animals and staff, the exact location of the relocation has not been disclosed.

 

The decision to relocate the wolves has drawn criticism from wildlife conservation groups. Michael Saul, director of the Rockies and Plains program at Defenders of Wildlife, expressed confusion over the decision, arguing that Colorado law already strikes a balance between the needs of ranchers and the protection of wolves. Saul pointed out that Colorado offers a “very generous compensation program” for ranchers who lose livestock to wolves or even suspect a wolf attack. In a statement, Defenders of Wildlife denounced the relocation plan and referred to a CPW letter that suggested the decision was influenced by producers refusing to accept non-lethal measures that could have prevented the attacks. The letter noted that while some preventive steps were taken on the property affected by wolf attacks, others were delayed or refused, including the removal of an open dead pit that may have attracted predators.

 

Tim Ritschard, president of the Middle Park Stockgrowers Association and a fifth-generation rancher, welcomed the decision to relocate the wolves, calling it “a long time coming.” He reported at least 15 confirmed livestock kills by the Copper Creek pack and expressed frustration that the wolves had not been removed earlier. “If this would have happened in any other state, those wolves would have been removed a long time ago,” Ritschard said. He explained that while losing a calf to a wolf is difficult, the repeated attacks from the pack pose a significant problem for ranchers trying to sustain their livelihoods. Ritschard noted that his group is preparing a response to CPW’s letter, but he emphasized that “the burden was placed on us the producers.”

 

Marc Bekoff, a behavioral ecologist and professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, warned that relocating the wolves could disrupt the pack’s stability. Bekoff explained that the wolves were originally taken from their home in Oregon and needed time to adapt to their new environment. He expressed concern that relocating the pack, especially if done by trapping individual wolves, could lead to the dissolution of the group.

 

“There’s some good scientific evidence that breaking up a pack, especially removing the leader, can lead to the dissolution of the group,” Bekoff said. He emphasized the importance of maintaining the integrity of the pack and warned that any intrusion at this early stage could be “really damaging.” Bekoff called the Copper Creek pack “the promise for the future of Colorado wolves” and expressed dismay that human intervention was already threatening the program’s success. “My concern is that the wolves haven’t had time to adapt, habituate,” he said. “People might disagree with me, but this is really a sign that maybe Colorado isn’t ready for wolves.”

 

 

Credit: NYT 2024-08-31

 

 

 

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