Colorado’s eight collared wolves remaining in the wild stayed in the north-central mountains and plains over the last month, according to a monthly tracking map released Wednesday.
The wolves’ territory included areas around Steamboat Springs, Walden and Kremmling. They also wandered to the north of Interstate 70 in Summit and Eagle counties, according to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife map, which covers late September and most of October.
The state’s known wolf population now stands at 14: seven survivors among the 10 adults reintroduced by the state in December, plus five pups from the Copper Creek pack and two adults from a pack established earlier by wolves that migrated from Wyoming.
One of the reintroduced wolves and four of her pups remain in captivity after CPW biologists removed them from the wild in late August and early September.
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The pack’s adult male had been tied to a number of livestock depredations. That male died in captivity shortly after being captured, though CPW has said it appeared the wolf died of injuries sustained prior to capture.
A fifth pup from the pack remains in the wild after CPW ceased attempts to capture it. CPW staff members believed they had rounded up all the pups but announced Sept. 30 that they discovered a fifth pup still in the wild. The pup is not collared, and CPW cannot track its movements.
The wildlife agency is preparing for the next round of releases to begin this winter. The next wolves to be reintroduced will come from British Columbia, Canada.
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