Colorado is at the center of a wildlife controversy. In August 2024, Parks and Wildlife were working to relocate the Copper Creek Pack from the area where they had been preying on livestock. Officials recaptured a recently reintroduced male gray wolf in Grand County. That wolf died in captivity shortly later.
Now, animal rights groups are offering an eye-wateringly large reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for its death: $100,000.
Wait, what? The wolf that died in captivity was shot? Yes, this is a long and confusing story.
While the wolf was captured live by wildlife officials, it had injuries noted during the capture, leading to its eventual death in captivity. Officials determined that a gunshot wound caused the injuries after its subsequent death.
“The wolf was in poor condition when captured and died on September 3, 2024. A necropsy revealed that a gunshot wound initiated the poor condition of the wolf and ultimately led to the cause of death,” the agency stated in a press release.
A Contentious Reintroduction
This marks a troubling moment in the state’s rocky wolf reintroduction efforts, which began after Colorado voters narrowly approved Proposition 114 in 2020. The initiative required the reintroduction of gray wolves by the end of 2023, making Colorado the first state to reintroduce wolves by ballot measure.
The reintroduction has been tumultuous. Since their release on Dec. 28, 2023, the wolves have killed dozens of cattle and sheep, spurning the need to relocate the Copper Creek Pack.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials have kept the remaining members of the pack in an undisclosed location and have not yet relocated them.
Ranchers Invoice State
While animal rights groups laud the effort to reintroduce wolves, rural residents are incensed by the initiative. On Jan. 2, 2025, ranchers in Grand County sent Colorado Parks and Wildlife a $582,000 bill for wolf kills. Those ranchers are sending a clear message that wolves are bad for their business. But, animal rights organizations are working on a very different tactic.
Animal Rights Groups Step In
The cause of death prompted a coalition of animal rights groups to offer a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. The incident highlights growing tensions surrounding the reintroduction and management of wolves in the state.
The groups led by the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project have put up a combined $100,000 reward for information. Their goal? To bring the perpetrator to justice and send a clear message about the seriousness of protecting Colorado’s burgeoning wolf population.
Other groups involved in contributing to the reward fund include the Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Center, the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Lockwood Animal Rescue Center, Colorado Wild, Western Watersheds Project, Wolf and Wildlife Advocates Sacred Wolf Foundation, and WildEarth Guardians.
“Every Coloradan should be outraged that a selfish poacher gunned down one of our state’s first reintroduced gray wolves, the father of the historic Copper Creek pack,” said Alli Henderson, southern Rockies director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Shooting this irreplaceable wolf wasn’t just morally wrong — it was also illegal. It’s time for the killer to face justice.”
In late November, they initially offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of anyone involved in the illegal killing of wolves in Colorado. After revealing that a Copper Creek wolf died from a gunshot wound, they increased the reward to $85,000 for information leading to formal charges and added $15,000 for a conviction.
Killing a gray wolf in Colorado — other than the exception to protect human safety — carries penalties that can include fines up to $100,000, jail time, and loss of hunting privileges.
Those with tips can contact Colorado at 1-877-COLO-OGT.
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