09/09/2025
Wolf that killed sheep in Rio Blanco County was the Copper Creek pup left behind last fall, DNA tests show.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife had been hunting for the wolf since Aug. 4, but was slowed by the massive Elk fire near Meeker
https://coloradosun.com/2025/09/05/colorado-wildlife-agency-kills-second-copper-creek-pup/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAMqWvVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHumLr4m06lIzMapq27QcjnBGjEEqeRuQINcdoHl3e4RMPoiB_9oT19sL9iIZ_aem_l42p__xA2FOHXlIEz0LdiQ
Prairie Protection Colorado
In the rugged landscapes of Colorado's Rio Blanco County, a young wolf's story tugs at the heartstrings, a tale of survival against all odds that ended in heartbreaking tragedy. This yearling, a member of the Copper Creek pack, was no ordinary wolf. He was a survivor, a lone pup who defied fate after his entire family was torn from him in August 2024.
When Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) trapped the Copper Creek pack to address livestock depredations in Grand County, this uncollared pup evaded capture. His mother, father, and four siblings were whisked away, leaving him alone in the wilds of Colorado. Just a pup, barely old enough to fend for himself, he faced a world of towering challengesâhunger, predators, and the harsh elements of the Rocky Mountains. Yet, against all odds, he survived.
For nearly a year, this resilient wolf roamed, his mournful howls echoing through the forests, a desperate call for the family he had lost. Wolf advocates, moved by his cries, saw them as a plea for connection, a young soul yearning for the pack that had been ripped away. Kurt Holtzen, a predator conflict specialist, noted the wolfâs relentless vocalizations, howling "day and night," a testament to his loneliness and unyielding spirit.
But survival came at a cost. In late July and August 2025, the young wolf, driven by instinct and hunger, preyed on sheep in Rio Blanco County. To ranchers, he was a threat; to CPW, he was a "chronic depredator" under the USFWS 10(j) rule, which allows lethal control of reintroduced wolves. On August 16, 2025, CPW and USDA wildlife services tracked him using thermal optics. A single shot from a .26-06 rifle rang out in the night. Though they couldnât find his body, no further depredations were reported, suggesting the bullet found its mark.
This wolfâs story is a gut-wrenching reminder of the clash between wildlife and human interests. He wasnât just a statistic in CPWâs management logs. He was a creature who fought to live, who howled for a family heâd never see again, who nearly made it through the wilderness alone. Mark Surls of Project Coyote called it a "tragic example" of policies that prioritize livestock over wolves, a sentiment that resonates with those who see this pup as a symbol of resilience and loss.
As the Elk fire raged nearby, hampering CPWâs search, the young wolfâs fate was sealed. His death marks the third loss from the Copper Creek pack, following the death of another pup in Pitkin County and the adult male during capture. Of the wolves reintroduced from Oregon and British Columbia, eleven have now perished, caught in the crosshairs of human-wildlife conflict.
This lone wolfâs journeyâfrom a pup left behind to a survivor cut down just as he roamed closer to other wolvesâstirs a deep sense of sorrow. His howls, once a beacon of hope, now echo as a haunting reminder of what was lost. In a world where survival is a triumph, his story ended not with reunion, but with silence.
