Collared Activity Update: June 25, 2024 - July 23, 2024 (Download PDF)
Currently, the collars are programmed to record a position every four hours.
Once four locations are recorded, the packet of four locations is then transmitted via satellite to CPW biologists.
Some factors, such as dense cloud cover and closed terrain, can delay the frequency of position recording and data transmission.
By looking at the data, CPW staff can learn where wolves have been, but they cannot tell where wolves are at a current point in time, nor can they predict where the wolves will go.
To protect the wolves, specific GPS data will not be shared.
This map was created using GPS data from all functioning collars in Colorado.
Two of the ten collars placed on wolves translocated in December are no longer providing signals to CPW biologists. This includes the collar that failed in March and an additional collar that was partially functional in March but has since failed. The animals with the failed collars are traveling with other animals with functional collars, which currently allows CPW to monitor those animals.
Wolf 2303-OR was found deceased on April 18, 2024, in Larimer County. The initial necropsy report found the cause of death was trauma, consistent with predation. The full necropsy was performed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which will release the final report upon completion.
On June 18, 2024, CPW biologists confirmed at least one wolf pup in Grand County. Because two wolves have bred, they are now officially considered a pack. The pack name is the Copper Creek Pack.
In July, wolves stayed relatively in the same watershed areas as in June and May. The June activity map shows minor differences in wolf movement for the month.
Wolves remain north of I-70 even though the watershed areas highlighted are slightly south of the I-70 highway line.
Nine of the 10 reintroduced wolves are still alive, with one confirmed breeding pair and one confirmed pup. The two wolves that naturally migrated from Wyoming are also still alive.
Our field staff continues to survey the rendezvous site and look for evidence of other pups. While our staff occasionally uses planes to monitor wolves, no efforts are being made to haze wolves from the border, as suggested on social media.
CPW established a temporary ad hoc working group to hear input from stakeholders on how to build trust with the agency, address conflict when it arises, provide feedback on chronic depredation and lethal control criteria, and ways to collaborate when implementing the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan (see more below).
Confirmed depredations are reported publicly on the Gray Wolf Depredation Report webpage, and staff investigated three depredations in July.
Learn more about living and recreating in wolf country on our website. CPW also created this hands-on resource guide to help reduce wolf depredations on livestock.
Through immigration from other states, potential collar failure or loss, and the natural reproduction of pups, the proportion of wolves with collars transmitting data will be reduced over time. Therefore, the accuracy of this map will diminish over time as the activity of uncollared wolves may not be included in it. The long-term intention is to maintain at least two collars in each pack.
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