US EditionColorado Parks and Wildlife Makes "Very Difficult" Decision to Kill Gray Wolf in Pitkin County
- On May 29, 2025, Colorado Parks and Wildlife euthanized a year-old male gray wolf, identified as an offspring of the Copper Creek group, in Pitkin County after it was linked to four attacks on livestock within an eight-day span.
- The removal followed confirmation of chronic depredation defined by at least three verified attacks within a 30-day period, despite producers and the agency deploying multiple nonlethal conflict mitigation measures.
- The wolf known as 2405 was linked to attacks resulting in the injury and death of calves and cows across several ranches within the valleys near Roaring Fork and Crystal River, including the Crystal River Ranch managed by Ginny Harrington.
- The head of the wildlife agency described the decision as challenging and explained it was intended to prevent the pack from increasingly preying on livestock. Meanwhile, Harrington advocated for more vigorous hazing efforts and recommended pausing any further wolf introductions.
- The agency plans to keep tracking the remaining Copper Creek pack wolves fitted with GPS collars to observe any shifts in their behavior, emphasizing that most Colorado wolves primarily prey on natural animals and tend to avoid livestock, supporting stable populations.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Colorado Parks and Wildlife makes "very difficult" decision to kill gray wolf in Pitkin County
By Jesse Sarles Click here for updates on this story Colorado (KCNC) — Officials with Colorado Parks and Wildlife say they have killed a gray wolf in Pitkin County. It’s the first time the agency has used what it call “lethal management action” on a wolf since it began reintroduction of the animals into the state in 2023. The agency said in a news release on Friday that the animal was part of the Copper Creek Pack and that the pack was repea…
Aspen Times
Colorado Parks and Wildlife kills Copper Creek wolf connected to multiple livestock attacks in Pitkin County
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to accurately reflect Ginny Harrington’s relation to the Crystal River Ranch. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has killed a gray wolf that was connected to four livestock attacks in eight days in Pitkin County. The wolf, 2405, was one of the male pups (now a year old) from the Copper Creek pack. In a news release on Friday, Parks and Wildlife said it lethally removed the wolf on Thursday, May 29, after rec…
Colorado Sun
The JournalColorado wildlife officials kill Copper Creek wolf after it preyed on livestock in Pitkin County
A young male wolf born in Grand County and relocated after its pack preyed on livestock last summer was killed Thursday by Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials after the now yearling animal attacked livestock in Pitkin County. Over Memorial Day weekend, the wolf attacked and killed livestock over three days on the Crystal River Ranch, in the Crystal River Valley, and on the Lost Marbles and McCabe ranches, in the Roaring Fork Valley. The anima…
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