Colorado Parks and Wildlife has announced their decision to capture and relocate the Copper Creek Pack due to pressure from the ranching community.
This is the first pack that was reintroduced to Colorado this last December.
This decision is disappointing to many advocates who had hoped that Colorado would place a higher value on learning to coexist without direct intervention.
The relocation directly violates the department’s own reintroduction plan policy which emphasized that actions like relocation should be taken as a last result, only after all other nonlethal measures and coexistence strategies have been exhausted.
The risk of such a plan is especially high now, so soon after their relocation for the initial reintroduction and with young pups in the pack.
Capturing and relocating a wolf pack is extremely stressful and dangerous for the members and can sometimes result in the pack breaking up, which would be devastating for the Colorado reintroduction project.
This strategy is also unlikely to prevent similar livestock conflicts from happening again unless other nonlethal deterrents and coexistence methods are employed.
The big concern for the future is the department’s concession to the ranching community.
Wolves and livestock have had a history of conflict, and it is crucial that the decision makers take the time to develop plans that consider both sides, rather than caving to one.
On a more positive note, relocation is better than lethal removal, and the CPW does seem to be making efforts to develop more long term solutions. So, let’s stay hopeful for the future of wolves in Colorado.