Colorado's rich history includes Indigenous cultures and their connection to wolves. These fascinating creatures are often portrayed as strong and loyal, respected among indigenous tribes across our state.
Wolves are said to carry the spirits of...
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COLORADO - Colorado's rich history includes Indigenous cultures and their connection to wolves. These fascinating creatures are often portrayed as strong and loyal, respected among tribes across our state.
Wolves are said to carry the spirits of ancestors and are revered as spiritual guides. Some tribes tell stories of humans receiving guidance from wolf spirits. Others tell tales of wolves shapeshifting into humans.
On the other hand, European cultural history sees the wolf as vicious and terrifying. Wolf-human shapeshifters are vilified as “werewolves,” the villian in many a horror story.
Regardless of what one believes, the relationship between humans and wolves has been a profound part of our lives for thousands of years.
The wolf is native to Colorado but was eradicated around the mid-1940s, primarily due to concerns about their impact on ranching and tourism.
In December 2023, wolves were reintroduced to Colorado, sparking much controversy as a result of misinformation and fear, very much like what the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem experienced when 41 wolves from Canada and northwest Montana were released in Yellowstone between 1995 and 1997.
Some wolves from the growing population dispersed to establish territories outside the park, facing more human-caused mortalities. Yellowstone ensured wolves’ long-term viability and has provided a place for recovery and research. Today, wolves thrive in Yellowstone, positively impacting the ecosystem.
Since Colorado’s initial wolf reintroduction at the end of 2023, Colorado Parks and Wildlife released an additional 15 wolves in Eagle and Pitkin Counties in January 2025. This led to further misinformation that led even further to more concerns.
On Saturday, May 10, 2025, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., experts took over the lower level of the Estes Valley Community Center in an inspiring symposium on wolves in the modern ecosystem.
To understand the reasons for the reintroduction of wolves in the Centennial State, we must travel back to the years following wolf extinction in Colorado, when other wildlife species experienced significant changes after wolves disappeared.
The removal of the apex predator led to the overexpansion of elk and deer populations. This then led to vegetation degradation, which negatively impacted other species, like songbirds and beavers.
The ripple effects of changes in one trophic level on others within an ecosystem are known as the trophic cascade. Trophic cascades significantly impact biodiversity, altering interactions between species and impacting ecosystem structure and functioning. It also leads to an overabundance of some species.
Colorado's elk population, for example, is the largest in the world. Elk survive through grazing, but grazing destroys vegetation when populations are too large or food is scarce. While Colorado Parks and Wildlife uses hunting as a primary tool to manage elk populations, that isn’t sufficient. The state doesn’t have enough apex predators to help manage the overpopulation of certain species.
Will the reintroduction of wolves into Colorado land drastically decrease deer and elk populations? No. Why?
Because nature always has a solution. Wolves strategically plan their meals, ensuring they never run out of food, making it impossible to “run out of elk.”
The biggest concern from ranchers is not that they “hate” wolves; they want to avoid conflicts. Colorado ranchers receive generous compensation for any destruction caused by wolves. The state also offers ranchers resources to help protect livestock and property.
Cameron Krebs, a sheep herder in the middle of Oregon’s largest concentration of wolves, uses biological deterrents and non-lethal tools—such as cell phones, GPS, electric fence chargers, poly-woven wire fence, and fox lights—to coexist with wolves.
Wolves have a natural fear of humans, and until they overcome that natural fear, the chances of a human being attacked by wolves are not zero, but are extremely unlikely. Generally, “acting like a crazy person” will motivate a wolf to run away (very quickly).
Our greatest enemy is not the wolf. Our greatest enemy is the spread of misinformation and the fear of the unknown. Wolves, whether in spirit or a part of nature, are deeply intertwined with the human race.
Wolves are also a keystone species, playing a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. January 12, 2025, marked the 30th anniversary since wolves returned to Yellowstone, in one of the greatest comeback success stories.
Data indicates that wolves stabilize ecosystems. The question is no longer whether you are for or against wolves. They are here.
The question is, rather, how does Colorado become the next wolf success story? The answer is revealed when Coloradoans unite to find the best solution: balance.
https://www.facebook.com/experiencewool/videos/1114714315752445/
https://www.endangered.org/welcomehome/
https://www.endangered.org/wolves/
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/national-wildlife-programs/nwrc/careers/breck
https://cpw.state.co.us/bringing-wolves-back-colorado
