Colorado’s Reintroduced Wolf Dies in Rocky Mountain National Park
Wildlife officials in Colorado have confirmed the death of a female gray wolf in Rocky Mountain National Park, marking at least the sixth death among reintroduced wolves in the state.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists received a ‘mortality alert’ from the wolf’s collar on Sunday and later confirmed the death in the park. The state agency announced the news on Thursday but did not reveal the cause of death.
2514-BC
The wolf, known as 2514-BC, was one of 15 gray wolves captured in British Columbia and released in Eagle and Pitkin counties in January, writes Colorado Public Radio. This release was the second since Colorado voters approved wolf reintroduction in 2020.
“Wolf survival in Colorado is normal for the Rocky Mountain region, state officials said Thursday, and deaths are factored into the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan”, according to the report.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will investigate the death because gray wolves are protected by the Endangered Species Act. This legal protection means federal authorities handle investigations into wolf deaths.
Average lifespan
Wildlife officials note that the average lifespan of a gray wolf in the Rockies is 3 to 4 years. Previous wolf deaths in Colorado have resulted from natural causes and human actions, including federal officials killing a Colorado wolf in Wyoming after it attacked sheep in March.
The wolf reintroduction program continues despite these losses, with wildlife experts expecting some mortality as part of the natural process of establishing wolf populations in Colorado.
