State will temporarily stop killing wolves that prey on livestock as Colorado's population falters

Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post on Sep 30, 2026

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DENVER — Colorado Parks and Wildlife will temporarily stop killing wolves that prey on livestock as the state’s population of the controversial canines dwindles.

The state wildlife agency, which announced the change Wednesday afternoon, says officials will still consider requests to remove depredating wolves — but they will act much more conservatively when deciding whether to kill the predator. The agency plans to rework its policy that dictates when a wolf can be killed and will publish the revised rule by April 1.

The state’s wolf plan — crafted as part of the voter-mandated reintroduction of the species — allows CPW to kill wolves that repeatedly kill or injure livestock under certain circumstances.

Since April, CPW has killed five wolves suspected of preying on livestock and is investigating another wolf death.

“We’re doing everything we can to meet our objective of a sustainable population while working with livestock producers and continuing to follow the adaptive guidance provided in the Wolf Restoration and Management Plan,” CPW Director Laura Clellan said in a news release. “Right now, we’re in a critical moment for wolf restoration in Colorado.”

CPW biologists estimate at least 45 wolves live in the state, 20 of which are pups born this spring. Only half of wolf pups typically survive their first winter, so biologists expect the population to decline in the coming months.

The survival rate among adult wolves is troubling to agency officials as well. Over the past year, only 61% of the adults have survived — far lower than the 75% survival rate the agency expected.

Biologists are also investigating what could be an infectious skin parasite in two of the packs in northwest Colorado, according to the release. If the diagnosis is correct, the parasite could result in more deaths.

Starting in late 2023, CPW released 25 wolves over the course of two winters to comply with a ballot measure that mandated the agency reintroduce the predator. But federal involvement last winter stymied plans to release more wolves to boost the population.

CPW “continues to explore options” for future wolf translocations, according to the release. The state wolf plan recommends releasing between 30 and 50 wolves over the course of three to five years.

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