Copper Creek Wolf Pack Strikes Again with Ninth Cow Attack

2023 Marks Beginning of Wolf Reintroduction in Colorado

Colorado's first set of wolves reintroduced back into the state in December 2023, officially became the first wolf pack in June 2024. This wolf pack, known as Copper Creek, has faced many hurdles as the wolves have continued to cause conflict between livestock and humans.

The Copper Creek pack has already been relocated from Grand County, Colorado, to Pitkin County in 2024 due to numerous livestock depredations. According to 9 News, the Copper Creek wolf pack has killed another cow in the past few days.

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The depredation of a cow killed in Pitkin County, Colorado, on August 7 marks the ninth cow killed that has been linked to the Copper Creek pack.

CPW's Removal Efforts Hindered by Wildfires

Colorado Parks and Wildlife started efforts to remove one of the wolves believed to be responsible for the deaths of the cow on July 20; however, the gray wolf has not been found, and wildfires in the area have thwarted the attempts to lethally remove the problem wolf or wolves by Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials.

READ MORE: Proposition 114 Explained: How Wolves Returned to Colorado

Colorado voters approved the reintroduction of wolves into the state in the November 2020 election with Proposition 114. In December 2023, 10 gray wolves were released into Grand and Summit counties. These 10 wolves made up the first wolf pack, known as the Copper Creek Pack, which formed in June 2024, after confirmed wolf pups were witnessed.

Many Coloradans oppose the reintroduction of wolves back in the state as it is believed to affect ranchers, landowners, and cattlemen located in the mountain counties of Colorado.

READ MORE: How Colorado Ranchers Cope with Wolf Depredations

Currently, there are four recognized wolf packs in the state. The Copper Creek Pack, One Ear Pack, King Mountain Pack, and the Three Creeks Pack. Colorado Parks and Wildlife intends to release 30 to 50 wolves over the span of five years in hopes of restoring a self-sustaining population on the western slopes of Colorado, as voted for by residents.