Wolf Suspected in Livestock Losses Evades CPW Efforts

By Heather Willard | KDVR Fox 31

DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado Parks and Wildlife said that after days of searching, teams failed to kill an uncollared wolf that has been determined to be at fault in six livestock deaths in Rio Blanco County.

Wildfires in the area delayed CPW’s ability to lethally remove the wolf, CPW announced on Aug. 5, which allowed another depredation event on Aug. 16, in which three lambs were found dead. Depredations, in this case, refer to a wolf stealing or killing a rancher’s product or livestock.

Teams from CPW and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service-Wildlife Services were deployed on Aug. 16 to kill the depredating gray wolf, CPW said.

“The decision to pursue lethal actions is never an easy one, but the events in Rio Blanco County met the conditions for chronic depredation that were defined with input from the ad-hoc working group,” said CPW Director Jeff Davis in the agency’s release about the removal efforts on Tuesday. “Removal of animals like this is an unfortunate part of wildlife management that is consistent with the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan and our 10(j) rule.”

CPW says wolf was located, but terrain blocked removal

On Aug. 16, the wolf was located and there was an attempt to kill the wolf with a firearm, but dense vegetation and difficult terrain blocked the effort.

The two agencies spent “several days” gridding the area, but after six days of searching, the efforts were discontinued and removal efforts concluded. CPW and the U.S. agency will continue to monitor the county for signs of wolf activity, but said there have been no additional livestock attacks or reports of wolf vocalizations since Aug. 16.

“CPW remains committed to recovering and maintaining a viable, self-sustaining wolf population in Colorado, while concurrently working to minimize wolf-related conflicts with domestic animals,” Davis said in the CPW release. “We are grateful for the producers in the area who worked constructively with CPW on deployment of multiple non-lethal conflict minimization efforts both prior to and during the series of depredations. These actions are designed to ensure that wolves and packs that are targeting natural prey, such as wild ungulates, serve as the foundation for a sustainable wolf population in Colorado.”

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