At the time of capture, the wolf family consisted of two adult parents and four pups, three of whom were seen on camera playing in a puddle just a couple weeks before the removal operation. CPW reported that the wolf father died a few days after he was taken into captivity. CPW has not said what caused the injuries prior to capture, but that they were likely severe enough to impair the father wolf’s ability to hunt, as his weight was down 30% from when he was released in December.
As the new wolf mother stayed in the den with her pups, the wolf father worked hard to provide them with food. During that time, a rancher said the wolf father had killed a few cattle and sheep on a nearby ranch and requested a permit to kill the wolves. In July, CPW denied the ranch owner’s request because the owner had “failed to implement available nonlethal conflict minimization materials and techniques,” even though the state offered to provide those important tools free of charge. The agency stated that “these nonlethal measures could have prevented some, if not all” of the predations.
The agency also stated that the ranch had an “open dead pit” on the property where the ranch owner piled the carcasses of animals who died from other causes like disease and birthing problems. The owner refused to bury the “dead pit” for nearly three weeks after CPW notified him that it was likely attracting wolves to the property.
Wolves will scavenge on available food, and to a growing family of wolves, an open pit of dead animals baits them to the area. After the rancher covered the pit in soil and began implementing some nonlethal deterrents, conflicts with wolves declined significantly.
But ranchers continued to blame the Copper Creek pack for the loss of farm animals, so CPW decided to pursue a plan to capture and relocate them. The state indicated that it hopes to release the four wolf pups when they are adult-size, possibly around December or January, but CPW has not yet decided what to do with the mother wolf, as the state’s wolf plan does not allow wolves who have had conflicts with cows or sheep to be moved elsewhere. CPW director Jeff Davis said that if the male had survived, he would have been placed in permanent captivity. Wolves in the wild are used to walking dozens of miles a day and, for wolves accustomed to the wilderness, living in captive settings may be a difficult, even traumatic, adjustment.
This was—and continues to be—a complex, tragic and ultimately avoidable situation, and it’s essential that we all examine the facts and the context to prevent any similar fate for other wolves in the future. While we are grateful that the agency did not simply kill the nascent wolf family, we worry about the future of the mother and pups and about the precedent that their dislocation has created. Even if the remaining members of the Copper Creek wolf pack survive this time in captivity and the relocation process—which some experts say is unlikely—it has been a traumatizing event for these bonded and highly social animals. And it is disappointing to the many voters who wanted to see wolves thrive again in Colorado.
For reintroduction to succeed, it is essential that ranchers understand and embrace the nonlethal measures available to help them deter these vital native carnivores from their land. Advanced resources exist in the state to provide ranch owners with the tools, education and expertise necessary to successfully coexist with wolves. And the scientific consensus is clear: nonlethal methods are much more effective and humane at preventing conflicts than killing or otherwise removing wolves. These methods must be required prior to extreme measures. The facts suggest that CPW has done a commendable job in a difficult situation, but capturing and holding the remaining wolf family members with an aim to relocate them sets a worrying precedent, despite the director’s comments to the contrary.
It is unacceptable for ranchers to refuse free assistance to address wildlife conflicts—and for wolves to pay the price. As the mother and pups in this case face an uncertain future, we will continue to work with our allies and the state agency to forge a strong path forward for Colorado’s wolves and the people who care about them.
Follow Kitty Block @HSUSKittyBlock.
