WATCH: Colorado wolf pups caught on camera as CPW confirms three new packs in the state
COLORADO (KRDO) – The wolf population in Colorado is growing, with the reintroduced animal successfully breeding and forming new packs over the spring, Colorado Parks and Wildlife says.
In a wolf update presentation given on Thursday, the agency confirmed the formation of three new packs in Jackson, Routt, and Rio Blanco counties – marking a major milestone in Colorado's wolf reintroduction efforts.
The three new packs are the One Ear Pack in Jackson County, the King Mountain Pack in Routt County, and the Three Creeks Pack in Rio Blanco County. CPW said it recognizes packs only after a breeding pair of wolves reproduces in late spring.
State officials say they're still working to confirm exactly how many pups were born to each pack this spring. According to CPW, the detection of pups during late spring and early summer is inherently low, as the animals are small and often reside underground or in habitats with dense cover.
The agency has cameras placed near the den of each pack, and is continuing to monitor them, CPW said.
“We are continuing to monitor four dens in Colorado and will include minimum counts of the entire wolf population in our annual biological year reports,” Eric Odell, CPW’s Wolf Conservation Program Manager, said during Thursday's meeting.
Video captured on a trail camera shows three pups from the newly named King Mountain Pack in Routt County playing in a heavily forested area.
The three new packs are in addition to the Copper Creek Pack in Pitkin County, the first pack formed after reintroduction.
The Copper Creek Pack, which lives more centrally in the state than the three new packs, has drawn attention after repeated livestock attacks in the area were tied to it. CPW euthanized one member of the pack earlier this year in an attempt to combat the issue and prevent further depredation.
READ MORE: CPW ‘lethally removes’ gray wolf from Copper Creek pack after repeated attacks on livestock
At the meeting, CPW confirmed officials are currently working on making agreements for the next batch of wolves to be translocated to Colorado this winter.
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