These Colorado Animals Were Reintroduced Before Wolves

When you think about the reintroduction of wildlife in Colorado, many jump to a polarizing opinion. Mainly due to the most recent species, the gray wolf. While there have been many arguments for the defense and opposition of the reintruction to the gray wolf in Colorado, there's nothing much that can be done about it now.

Wolves are back in Colorado, and it appears they will be here to stay.

READ MORE: Could Wolverines Be the Next Animal Reintroduced to Colorado?

Long before the reintroduction of the gray wolf population in Colorado, other species were brought back into the state. Many of which residents and visitors alike will go out in search of, just to catch a glimpse.

According to Rocky Mountain PBS, these species have all been reintroduced into the state of Colorado.

Moose in Colorado

brown moose on green grass during daytime

You might be surprised to know that moose are not native to the centennial state of Colorado. Reports have documented moose travelling into Northern Colorado from Wyoming dating back to the 1850's, but the herds never established full-time residency.

It wasn't until 1978 that wildlife officials transported 24 male and female moose from Wyoming and Utah to the North Park region of Colorado. Today, moose are found more broadly across the state.

River Otters in Colorado

brown animal on body of water

Between 1976 and 1991, wildlife officials released 122 river otters into the Gunnison River, Upper Colorado River, Dolores and SanMiguel Rivers, Piedra-San Juan-Navajo-Pine Rivers, and the Yampa and Green Rivers. The reintroduction was a success, and the Colorado river otter population now serves as a measurement of river health.

Colorado Lynx

a wild cat sitting on a rock

In 1973, Colorado listed the lynx as an endangered species. One year later, the last known lynx in Colorado was illegally trapped in Colorado. Colorado Parks and Wildlife started working on a plan to reintroduce the lynx in the mid-1990s. In 1999, the first reintroduction of lynx back into Colorado happened with 40 lynx from Canada and Alaska into the San Juan Mountains. It was not a successful start for the species.

READ MORE: No New Gray Wolves Planned for Colorado This Year

Colorado Parks and Wildlife changed its plan for the reintroduction of lynx and moved the cats from a hard release into the wild to putting lynx in a pen, feeding them, and teaching them how to hunt on their own. Today, there are an estimated 150-250 lynx in the state of Colorado.