Photo credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
In some exciting and hopeful news for wildlife, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has officially confirmed three new wolf families in the state: The One Ear, King Mountain, and Three Creeks packs. These new arrivals join the established Copper Creek pack, which also recently welcomed new pups.
While the total number of pups is still being determined, the King Mountain pack has at least four confirmed pups—a promising sign for Colorado’s growing gray wolf population.
This marks a major milestone for Colorado’s science-based wolf reintroduction program, launched after voters passed Proposition 114 in 2020. The initiative made Colorado the first state to reintroduce wolves by popular vote, with a goal of restoring a self-sustaining population.
“Like so many Coloradans, I’m thrilled to hear of new wolf families and puppy paws on the ground,” said Alli Henderson, southern Rockies director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The howl of wolves rising once more in this iconic landscape signals real progress toward restoring balance in Colorado’s wild places.”
Wolves live in close-knit family groups known as packs. They raise their pups together, hunt cooperatively, and play a critical role in restoring ecological balance. As young wolves mature, they may disperse to form new packs and recolonize wild habitats across the state.
To support coexistence with rural communities, the state offers free or subsidized tools to ranchers, including range riders and non-lethal deterrents. These conflict-prevention strategies are essential to ensuring that both wolves and people can live side by side in peace.
Adding to the momentum, Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced that the Born to Be Wild license plate has already raised over $900,000 to fund these non-lethal coexistence measures, an incredible show of public support.
The Center remains committed to working alongside state officials, conservation groups, and communities to protect Colorado’s wolves and ensure they have every chance to thrive.
Wolves once roamed freely across Colorado before being nearly wiped out by extermination campaigns. Now, thanks to reintroduction efforts, they are returning to their rightful home.
To ensure a secure future for wolves in Colorado and beyond, we must remain vigilant, informed, and united, recognizing that we still have a long road ahead.
Join the fight to protect wolves! Become a member of Team Wolf today. Together, we can make sure wolves have a wild future. JOIN HERE!
