CENTRAL CITY - During the public comment period at the April 22 County Commissioners meeting, a representative from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), District Wildlife Commander Tim Woodward, presented the Board with an update on Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program, fittingly timed ahead of CPW’s monthly wolf tracking map release.

“Approximately a year ago, we came in and spoke to you guys about wolves,” the speaker began. “I’m just here to kind of update you.”

CPW has now released a total of 25 gray wolves, including 10 from Oregon last year and 15 additional wolves from British Columbia in December. All wolves are collared and tracked via GPS, though data is delayed 12 to 48 hours due to satellite collection intervals.

In early April, one of the collared wolves entered Gilpin County, remaining in the area for about 48 hours before crossing back over the Continental Divide to the Western Slope. 

“I thought it would take a little longer than that to have a wolf come over the divide,” the representative admitted. “But it stayed here for roughly 48 hours, but now it’s back on the Western Slope.”

According to CPW, wolves are currently traveling widely in search of mates and suitable territory, with at least one individual logging over 1,200 miles in the past month. Most of the reintroduced wolves are still solo, with pack formations yet to occur.

“They’re searching for a place to be, looking over the country and seeing where they want to stay,” said Woodward. Several are looking for mates or packs.

The CPW official encouraged residents and commissioners to follow the agency’s monthly wolf map, released every third Thursday. The map marks the watersheds where wolves have been present within the last 30 days. 

“A lot of the drainages in Gilpin County will light up on Thursday,” Woodward said.

Residents who spot a wolf or signs of one can report sightings through CPW’s online link, which the department monitors and follows up on. More information can be found at https://cpw.state.co.us/wolf-sightings.

“In addition to being federally protected, gray wolves are also a state-endangered species in Colorado, and wolves may not be taken (harmed, harassed, or killed) for any reason other than self-defense. The gray wolf in Colorado is protected by the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and state law.” (https://cpw.state.co.us/wolf-sightings)

The visit served as both a real-time wildlife update and a heads-up for the community, as Gilpin County becomes part of the expanding range for reintroduced wolves.