A wolf has killed a calf in Colorado, wildlife officials said Wednesday, the first livestock killing since a controversial killing of 10 predators in December over discontent among the state’s rural residents. announced that it has been confirmed.
After investigating, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department confirmed that wounds on the calf killed Tuesday and nearby wolf tracks are consistent with what they call a “predatory” wolf kill.
“During the field investigation, we found multiple teeth scratch marks on the calf’s hind legs and neck, as well as bleeding under the skin,” Jeromy Huntington, one of the agency’s wildlife managers, said in a statement. “This is consistent with wolf depredation.”
The agency did not say how many wolves were involved or whether it was a recently released species. In recent years, several wolves have wandered out of Wyoming and killed livestock.
The calf’s owner can receive up to $15,000 in compensation from the state, based on the animal’s market value. Still, ranchers say that’s not enough.
“This incident resulting in the loss of livestock reflects the continuing challenges ranchers face in managing conflicts between livestock and wildlife,” Colorado Cattlemen’s Association spokesperson Tatum Swink said in a statement. “It highlighted the issues.”
Colorado’s narrowly won wolf reintroduction in the 2020 vote caused political shockwaves across the state.
Ranchers and farmers denounced the proposal as “vote biology,” arguing that animals would eat into their businesses and the industry as a whole. Even neighboring Republican states such as Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana refused to provide wolves to Colorado, which ultimately obtained them from Oregon.
Supporters argued that the apex predator would restore the area’s ecological balance. Wolves were largely hunted outside the state by his 1940s.
Gray wolves killed about 800 livestock in 10 states, including Colorado, in 2022, according to a previous Associated Press investigation of depredation data from state and federal agencies.
While losses can affect individual ranchers, the analysis shows it is only part of the industry as a whole, about 0.002% of the affected state’s cattle herds.
In December, 10 wolves were released in Colorado at an undisclosed location in the Rocky Mountains. After a long plane flight, the first five birds jumped out of their cages and disappeared into the woods as Gov. Jared Polis, wildlife officials, biologists and journalists watched. Wildlife officials expect to release 30 to 50 wolves over the next few years.
Strategies to deter wolves from livestock include tying streamers and flashing lights to fences to warn off predators from entering ranches. Wolves will eventually get used to the strategy, so it can only be used for a short period of time and is not airtight.
