Colorado officials were forced to euthanize a gray wolf after it continuously killed livestock and proved to be a public problem. This comes after wildlife officials reintroduced the species into the state.
One wolf was preying on livestock on private land in Pitkin County. This comes after the same animal had to be relocated for previous concerns. The repeat offenses forced officials to euthanize the wolf. It's the first time that officials have euthanized one of the animals since they were reintroduced in the state in 2023.
Officials also confirmed the euthanization in an agency news release. Officials say that the wolf met the criteria for "chronic depredation" after four incidents of livestock killing in nearly a week.
Gray Wolf Euthanized
"The decision to take lethal management action was very difficult," CPW director Jeff Davis said in a statement. "Our wildlife biologists constructed a timeline of recent events that shows the depredation behavior met the conditions for chronic depredation that were defined earlier this year. We have great respect for these animals and take the removal of a wolf very seriously."
They wanted to dissuade other wolves from following in the pattern. It was to deter the issues with the pack.
"[This] is not something that we take lightly," CPW wolf conservation program manager Eric Odell said in Friday's news release. "Removal of animals early in the restoration process is a balance between managing populations of wolves, while also assisting landowners in resolving ongoing conflicts with wolves."
The euthanization also comes after the CPW and ranchers have butted heads over the gray wolf population. Ranchers feel that officials haven't done enough to protect them and their interests from the wolves. The euthanization of one animal likely seems to be too little, too late. Ranchers are also concerned that the pack will develop this habit. This would make it a bigger issue.
"By refusing to manage problem wolves, CPW has allowed livestock depredations to continue unchecked, while fostering a pack of depredating wolves," Colorado Cattlemen's Association to CPW director Jeff Davis also wrote. "Pups from these problem wolves will be trained to 'hunt' and survive off livestock."
