Its predominantly rural opposition was led by ranchers. Proposition 114 was on the ballot in Colorado during the Novemelection, passing by just 50.9 percent. "Our hope is that we will eventually have photos to document this momentous occasion in Colorado's incredible and diverse wildlife history, but not bothering them remains a paramount concern." "We are continuing to actively monitor this den site while exercising extreme caution so as not to inadvertently jeopardize the potential survival of these pups," said Libbie Miller, a state wildlife biologist. There are now an estimated 6,000 gray wolves in the lower 48 states, up from the roughly thousand or so that remained before the US granted them protection under the Endangered Species Act in the late 1970s.Ī few individual wolves journeyed southeast to Colorado from Yellowstone National Park, where they were reintroduced in the 1990s, but it was not clear there was a self-sustaining, viable population in the state. "We welcome this historic den and the new wolf family to Colorado."Ĭoloradans narrowly voted last year in favor of a law to reintroduce the predator by 2023, the first time a state's voters forced their government to protect a species.Ī quarter of a million wolves once roamed from coast to coast before European settlers embarked on campaigns of eradication by shooting, trapping and poisoning that endured into the 20th century. "Colorado is now home to our first wolf litter since the 1940s," said Governor Jared Polis in a statement Wednesday. Litters typically consist of four to six pups.
It is not known if the three pups spotted are the only offspring. The observations were made at dusk or dawn from a distance of around two miles from the den site, so as not to interfere with the pack. WASHINGTON - Colorado has reported its first litter of gray wolf pups in 80 years, a major milestone in the US state's efforts to reintroduce the iconic species even as it stands imperiled in other parts of the country.īetween June 4 and June 8, a state biologist and a wildlife manager independently reported visual confirmation that "John" and "Jane," known collared wolves, were seen with three young. A female regurgitates food for wolf pups from Canada in their enclosure at Pairi Daiza animal park in Brugelette, western Belgium
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