A Recently Released Colorado Wolf was Killed by the Feds in Wyoming

It’s been about two months since Colorado officials silently released another batch of British Columbian wolves in the dead of the night on the state’s Western Slope. In an effort to keep their activities secretive and protect those administering them, Colorado officials opted for the quick and silent release as part of their reintroduction schedule. Despite their best efforts, one of those wolves is already making headlines.

Wolf 2505-BC, which was one of the recently imported 15 wolves, has reportedly been killed by federal officials in Wyoming this week. While Colorado CPW did put out a release regarding the incident, they sound about as forthcoming as a mob boss pleading the fifth. 

According to the release, Colorado officials reported receiving a GPS collar mortality signal in an area of north-central Wyoming on March 16th. Avoiding saying outright that federal agents took care of the wolf, the pithy public statement instead rolled over on the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). According to the release, the federal agency was  in Wyoming and was “conducting livestock depredation mitigation in response to multiple livestock losses in Wyoming.”

According to reports from a local Denver station, APHIS did make a statement about the event, highlighting the fact that five adult sheep had been killed by a collared wolf from Colorado.

“Evidence consistent with wolf depredation was observed at the site, including wolf tracks, struggle sites, carcasses with premortem hemorrhaging, and bite marks consistent with known wolf predations,” an APHIS spokesperson said. “In total, five adult sheep were killed by an adult wolf, including one sheep that was heavily fed upon … Closer examination showed the wolf had a collar from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.”

The APHIS official went on to state that the Wyoming Fish and Game Department returned both the wolf and the collar to Colorado CPW. State biologists have stated that they will examine the carcass and will likely refurbish the collar for future use. 

While the wolf’s specific movements were not released publicly because “CPW does not comment on wildlife movements, operations or regulations in other states,” they are stressing to the public that wolves will travel many miles in search of food. Although most of the wolves have remained local to reintroduction sites closely situated around Grand, Summit, Pitkin and Eagle counties; CPW has stated previously that two wolves have wandered west toward the Utah border.

Judging by the location in which this wolf was killed, it looks like this fella travelled around 300 miles north based on very conservative estimates. And while CPW went on to reiterate that he and the other wolves snatched from British Columbia were not from an area that contained livestock, it certainly looks like they now have a taste for it.