The Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) recently conducted a collaring effort on two wolves in North Park, Colorado. The male wolf 2101 was recaptured two years after its initial capture. While the other collared wolf was male 2301. This male is believed to be one of six pups produced by the wolf pair in 2021. These collaring efforts were conducted in conjunction with the elk and moose capture efforts. These efforts are part of ongoing research studies in the area.
The GPS collars provide valuable information about the wolves’ behavior. However, they only offer a snapshot of the data. Also, they are not monitored in real-time. Wildlife officers primarily use field observations of physical evidence such as wolf prints and scat during field investigations to verify the presence of wolves on the landscape. During the collaring process, the wolves were safely darted with a tranquilizer from a helicopter and given a health exam, which showed that both wolves were in good health.
Refitting 2101 with a new GPS collar will allow biologists to continue learning about the behavior of these wolves in North Park. – CPW Acting Director Heather Disney Dugan
These collaring efforts were done on known wolves that migrated to the state. They are not the result of wolf reintroduction efforts.
CPW encourages the public to use its wolf sighting form if they see a suspected wolf in the state, as personal observations, photos, and videos taken by the public can help inform CPW staff and provide insight into wolf activity in North Park and beyond.
In conclusion, the GPS collaring of these two wolves is an important step in the ongoing research efforts by CPW to better understand the behavior of these wolves. The public can play a significant role in assisting these efforts by reporting any wolf sightings in the state.
You can read more about this collaring by clicking here. Likewise, you can read more Colorado hunting news by clicking here.
