Earlier this year, two wolves were spotted together in northern Colorado. At the time officials thought they were two bachelor males exploring the area. However, due to new tracking collar data, officials believe that the wolves have created a den together in Jackson County.
Officials are now moving to confirm if the wolves are actually a breeding pair. If that ends up being the case, their pups would be the first wolves born in Colorado in over 80 years.
Breeding Wolves in Colorado
“John and Jane’s pups have genetically diverse potential mates to choose from when they grow up.” – Colorado Gov. Jared Polis
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis was quick to bring up the news via Facebook. Likewise, the governor thanked the CPW for their efforts regarding these wolves. He also took the time to name the wolves “John and Jane Wolf.” The Governor also stated that the existence of these two wolves will not slow the reintroduction efforts.
“The news of potential denning behavior of wolves in Jackson County is a real credit to Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s [on-the-ground] scientists.” – Colorado Gov. Jared Polis
CPW spokesperson Rebecca Ferrell says that the mistake took place due to an error in Wyoming. The wolf in question was recently referred to as M1084. However, now due to the recent news, it may need to be changed to F1084. Wolf M/F1084 was initially spotted in Colorado in 2019. Back in 2019, the wolf was seen to have a radio collar. As a result, CPW reached out to Wyoming for its data. Officials were able to confirm that the wolf came from Wyoming’s Snake River Pack.
“Just a mislabeling on the form.” – Rebecca Ferrell, CPW Spokesperson
This spring M/F1084 was joined by another wolf. When officials spotted this new wolf they put a helicopter in the air and were able to capture the new wolf. After extensively gathering data from the new wolf, officials believed that the group was two bachelor males hunting together.
After the GPS collars started sending information that looked like denning behavior officials were astounded and came up with a plan to confirm denning wolves. CPW personnel have begun hanging trail cameras in the immediate area and will continue to monitor the GPS information on the wolves.
So, what are your thoughts on this potential breeding pair of wolves in Colorado? How do you think the wolf reintroduction will go in Colorado? Let us know in the comments!
