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| credit: Denver Post |
Five wolves were released in an undisclosed location in Grand County, Colorado in fulfillment of a vote of the people to reintroduce the predators in the state. Two juvenile males, two juvenile females and an adult male were given their freedom on Monday. The wolves were given to Colorado by Oregon, which has a growing population despite culling by the state at the behest of livestock owners. The last count was about 178 in 24 known packs. Colorado's wolf management plan calls for the release of fifty wolves over the next three years. One pack that formed naturally in Moffat county was eradicated when it crossed the border into wolf-hating Wyoming. The state has an agreement with New Mexico, Arizona and Utah to recapture and return re-introduced wolves
The governor said that history was being made with the re-introduction since wolves were eradicated in the state in the 1940's. They were captured from helicopters and shipped to Colorado in crates. The animals were fitted with GPS collars, vaccinated and given a health check before release. Reintroduction of wolves in the West is controversial, and has become mired in the culture wars. For progressives the wolf is a symbol of restoring healthy ecosystems, while conservatives see the wolf and an implacable enemy that must be eliminated.
