Gray wolf activity has been detected in La Plata County for the first time since Colorado Parks and Wildlife reintroduced the endangered species in late 2023.
A map released on Wednesday highlights activity in the northeastern corner of the county from April 22 to May 27.
In an email to The Durango Herald, CPW spokesman John Livingston said a lone gray wolf made broad movements after its release and briefly passed through La Plata County but is no longer present.
“Some large movements by translocated wolves were expected following release as they explore their new surroundings,” he said.
This was the second time that this female wolf has traveled down south, although she came farther this time, said San Juan Citizens Alliance Wildlife Manager Gary Skiba.
While the CPW map highlights entire watersheds where gray wolves have traveled, it does not show every location they’ve passed through.
“It’s important to understand – it’s not like there are wolves in La Plata County,” Skiba said. However, “there was every expectation that the wolves would get here eventually.”
The first reintroduction season under the Colorado Gray Wolf Restoration and Management Plan saw the release of 10 wolves in late 2023. They were captured in Oregon and released in Grand and Summit counties, in the northern part of the state. Two have since been illegally shot and killed.
Earlier this year, CPW released 15 wolves from British Columbia and five recaptured wolves from the original pack in Eagle and Pitkin counties, as part of the second reintroduction phase.
Skiba expects the current wolf population to reproduce quickly, helping CPW establish a self-sustaining population.
“The wolves will just keep going. … They’re good at occupying new territory,” he said. “They’ll head south into northern New Mexico, northeastern Arizona and eastern Utah.”
The Colorado Sun has reported on ranchers’ concerns about rising wolf attacks. Most recently, wolves from the 2023 pack killed and injured livestock in several attacks over Memorial Day weekend in Pitkin County.
CPW said it is working with agricultural producers, government officials, law enforcement and tribal leaders in areas where wolves are present.
Efforts to reach J Paul Brown, a La Plata County sheep rancher, were unsuccessful Thursday.
“CPW will continue to collaborate on ways to minimize the risk of depredation,” Livingston said. “Staff continues to perform site assessments and identify ways to effectively mitigate potential conflicts.”
Richa Sharma is an intern for The Durango Herald and The Journal in Cortez and a student at American University in Washington, D.C. She can be reached at rsharma@durangoherald.com.
