Wolves Released in Colorado Were Part of Pack Responsible for Livestock Deaths in Oregon
A pair of wolves released in Colorado this week were part of the Five Points pack in Oregon that killed three livestock animals. Oregon wildlife officials allowed federal officials to kill four wolves from the pack earlier this year.
Wolves from the Five Points Pack Released in Colorado
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife released five wolves captured in Oregon in a remote area of Grand County. On Friday, the agency announced that five more Oregon wolves had been released in Grand and Summit counties on state-owned land.
The wolves released this week were yearlings, meaning they were likely born in April 2022 and were not experienced hunters when the pack was killing livestock in Oregon.
The locations where the wolves were released are being kept secret.
Oregon's Five Points pack consisted of 12 wolves at the end of 2022. Four wolves from the pack were killed in response to chronic livestock depredation. The recent history of the released wolves was first reported by The Fence Post.
Concerns about Wolves with History of Depredation
Travis Duncan from Colorado Parks and Wildlife stated that any wolves that have been near livestock will have some history of depredation. However, not all packs with infrequent depredation events should be excluded as a source population.
Reid DeWalt, the wolf reintroduction manager, expressed that it would not be suitable to introduce wolves from depredating packs, as it would set them up for failure.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife Director Jeff Davis mentioned that there are enough wolves in other states without a history of killing livestock and that it is crucial to ensure wolves and ranchers can coexist.
Challenges and Controversies Surrounding Wolf Reintroduction
Ranchers in North Park are requesting lethal tactics to protect their livestock from wolves. However, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials have denied their request, citing a decline in attacks on livestock since the original pack returned to Wyoming.
Oregon has been the only state willing to provide wolves to Colorado's restoration effort. A total of 16 wolves have been killed in Oregon this year due to livestock depredation.
The reintroduction of wolves raises concerns among ranchers and the need for coexistence between wolves and rural communities.
