Wolf Killed in Grand County Colorado Was Shot

The reintroduction of wolves back into the state of Colorado in 2024 has not gone without its fair share of setbacks. Three wolves from the Copper Creek Wolf Pack died in the first year of reintroduction in the state of Colorado.

One of the wolves died less than a week after being captured by Colorado Parks and Wildlife for relocation of the entire Copper Creek Wolf Pack due to repeated attacks on livestock in Grand County, Colorado.

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The male wolf that died less than a week after the capture of the Copper Creek Pack has been found in poor condition and several injuries to his right leg. A release from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has shed a bit more light on the death of the male gray wolf in Grand County.

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According to the release, the wolf, 2309-OR, died on September 3, 2024. A necropsy showed that a wound from a gunshot was the cause of poor health and death. Gray wolves in the state of Colorado are listed as endangered under the Federal Endangered Species Act.

This means that harassing, harming, or the killing of a gray wolf without federal authorization is illegal. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently investigating the death of the male wolf and is offering a reward for information on the fatal shooting of an endangered species.

Anyone with information regarding the death of the wolf, or any federal wildlife crimes, is being asked to contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's crime hotline at 1-844- FWS-TIPS, FWS_TIPS@fws.gov, or at fws.gov.