CPW sights first gray wolf pup from reintroduced wolves, names pack
DENVER (KDVR) — It’s official: Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists have laid eyes on the first gray wolf pup born since the voter-approved wolf reintroduction over the winter.
The sighting was reported on June 18 in Grand County. Now that the wolves have reproduced, the state biologists are also considering that group a pack and named it the Copper Creek Pack.
Night, thermal vision allowed for hazing, possibly killing preying wolves
CPW said at this time there are no videos or photos of the one pup sighted by biologists during routing wolf monitoring. Biologists were only able to confirm the one young wolf, but say that wolves commonly have four to six pups in each litter.
“We are continuing to actively monitor this area while exercising extreme caution to avoid inadvertently disturbing the adult wolves, this pup, or other pups,” said CPW Wildlife Biologist Brenna Cassidy in a release announcing the pup’s sighting.
CPW also said that staff will continue to work with area landowners to minimize the potential for conflict. It also noted that all the wolves introduced to Colorado were known to be capable of breeding in February.
Confirmation follows months of hints
CPW has hinted at the possibility of pups since April when CPW Director Jeff Davis responded to the Middle Park Stockgrowers Association with a letter explaining why the state would not be taking lethal action against wolves that had been preying on area livestock.
On June 13, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission heard about one female wolf’s movements, which were reported to be “typical for a denning female.” CPW is tracking the reintroduced wolves with GPS collars, although not all the collars are working anymore. CPW says the wolves without working collars are traveling with wolves whose collars are still sending back data, so they can still track all the reintroduced wolves.
Wolf depredations occur when wolves take a livestock producer’s animal for food, essentially stealing from the business, and it’s been the cause of concern for many ranchers and livestock producers in Jackson and Grand Counties. However, Davis wrote in April that the state would not be removing the male wolf of the possibly denning pair in Grand County.
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“Removing the male breeder at this point would be irresponsible management and potentially cause the den to fail, possibly resulting in the death of the presumed pups,” Davis wrote. “This is not a desirable result and I am therefore not going to take action at this time to lethally remove this animal.”
All Colorado ranchers are legally barred from lethally deterring wolves unless CPW permits a rancher to kill a wolf following a confirmed depredation. Recently, CPW has issued nine “potentially injurious non-lethal hazing permits,” according to Reid DeWalt, assistant director for aquatic, terrestrial and natural resources.
That means ranchers will be allowed to shoot rubber buckshot, beanbags and other non-lethal projectiles to haze wolves that come in contact with livestock or people. Additionally, the CPW Commission is allowing the use of artificial light, night vision goggles and other thermal imaging equipment to “haze and potentially kill” wolves caught preying on livestock.
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