Colorado wolves extend territory toward state's southern border

Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post on May 28, 2025

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Colorado wolves’ territory now nears three of the state’s four borders as the apex predators continue to expand their territory across the Western Slope, a new map released by state wildlife officials shows.

At least one of Colorado’s collared wolves for the first time pushed into southwest Colorado, including in watersheds northeast of Durango that include parts of San Juan, La Plata and Archuleta counties.

The wolves’ territory now spreads from near the Utah border west of Montrose, to the Wyoming border north of Walden, to near the New Mexico border outside of Pagosa Springs. The canines also remained in watersheds just west of metro Denver in Boulder, Gilpin and Clear Creek counties, the map shows.

Any Colorado wolves that wander into Utah, New Mexico or Arizona will be retrieved and brought back to the Centennial State, under agreements state wildlife officials inked with those neighboring states.

Colorado does not have a similar agreement with Wyoming and two wolves relocated from Canada in January for the state’s reintroduction program have been killed after crossing the state’s northern border.

Four of the 15 wolves captured in Canada and released here in January have died: two were killed in Wyoming, one died in Rocky Mountain National Park and a fourth died May 15 in northwest Colorado.

Three of the 10 wolves released in December 2023 as the first wave of the voter-mandated reintroduction program have since died, though a pair from that group also produced five pups.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists have said the survival rate among the reintroduced animals remains within the expected range.

Wildlife officials continue to monitor four potential den sites but have not seen any pups from this year’s breeding season yet, CPW spokesman Travis Duncan said Wednesday.

The release of the latest map follows reports from ranchers of wolves killing and injuring multiple livestock outside Aspen over Memorial Day weekend.

Wolves killed two calves and injured others at Lost Marbles Ranch, Crystal River Ranch and McCabe Ranch, according to a news release from the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association.

“While many in the public romanticize the idea of seeing a wolf, local ranchers live with the daily reality of fear, stress and loss,” the association said in a news release. “Since calving began in early March, emotional strain has continued to mount, taking a profound toll on families.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, CPW officials had not added the attacks to the agency’s list of confirmed wolf depredations. So far in 2025, wolves have killed or injured four head of livestock and one dog.

Since wolves were reintroduced to the state in December 2023, the animals have killed or injured 20 head of cattle, nine sheep, two dogs and one llama.

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