Defenders Responds to Capture of Copper Creek Wolf Pack in Colorado

Colorado Parks and Wildlife today announced the capture of all six members of the Copper Creek wolf pack following efforts that began in late August. CPW announced late on August 27 that the wolves were being captured following depredation events on ranching properties near where the wolves had established territory. The pack consisted of the first breeding pair and litter of the 2023 reintroduction; the breeding male has since been declared deceased by CPW due to injuries sustained prior to capture.

"While this is not the recourse we would have wanted, we are pleased to see the mother and pups are healthy at this time, and hope that they can continue to contribute to the success of this monumental restoration effort," said Michael Saul, Rockies and Plains program director at Defenders of Wildlife. "CPW must now turn its attention to ensuring it does not have to come to this impossible decision again, which means enshrining a rule that all agency-recommended nonlethal conflict mitigation measures be timely and in good faith exhausted before any consideration of recapture and relocation."

Relocating wolves can prove risky to the health and wellbeing of the individuals, particularly for pups that are less than six months old. Further, the Technical Working Group of biologists and wolf experts that developed recommendations for CPW's wolf management plan suggested that relocation does not have technical merit, may destabilize packs, runs the risk of relocating conflict to another area, and may not address the underlying cause of conflict.

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