World News
Conservationists confirm second murder of cattle wolf
A wolf killed a calf in Jackson County this weekend, the second time in less than a week that livestock deaths in Colorado have been attributed to a wolf, wildlife officials confirmed Monday.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials responded Sunday morning to a report of possible depredation of a calf after the animal was found dead with its hindquarters partially eaten. In a news release Monday, CPW said the type of injury is consistent with wolf depredation and that partial wolf tracks have been found in the area.
The agency said it knows of four wolves in the area where the calf was found, including a wolf or wolves with known territory in North Park, as well as gray wolves released into the wild in December in accordance with the 2020 ballot measure that passed by Colorado voters want to reintroduce the predators to the state.
CPW declined to identify the exact location in Jackson County of the weekend wolf kill. Conservationists believe there are 12 wolves in Colorado: the 10 introduced in December and two from a pack that settled in Jackson County after migrating from Wyoming. The wolves released in December were unleashed in Grand County and neighboring Summit County.
The wolf kill in Jackson County follows one in Grand County last week, when a rancher discovered the carcass of a calf on April 2. CPW officials confirmed that the calf was killed by one of the wolves released into Colorado late last year, making it the first verified kill of livestock by one of the introduced wolves. Officials have not yet said whether the Jackson County killing was committed by one of the recently released animals.
CPW and the Colorado Department of Agriculture are making plans to deploy range riders in the coming weeks to anticipate and prepare for livestock predator incidents and to help ranchers use non-lethal deterrent methods to protect their animals.
The calf owner is eligible to receive the fair market value of the cattle if a claim is filed. CPW compensates for damage caused by gray wolves to livestock.
