GRAND COUNTY, Colo. — Just a few days after Colorado biologists confirmed a female wolf was likely denning in Grand County — an encouraging sign of possible reproduction — Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) announced they had spotted a wolf pup at the den site.
The pup sighting came with more news: Because a pair had reproduced, Colorado is now home to an official wolf pack. CPW said it has been dubbed the Copper Creek Pack. It's the first confirmed wolf pack, and first wolf pup, in Colorado since the reintroduction in December.
Reid DeWalt, CPW’s assistant director of aquatic, terrestrial, and natural resources, explained during a June 13 CPW Commission meeting that biologists had confirmed a den, but had not yet seen any wolf pups. However evidence — including GPS collar data — has shown a male and female wolf that seemed to be denning, which indicates reproduction in wolves. CPW biologists were tipped off about the reproduction when the female's GPS collar stopped uploading data in early April and then resumed a few weeks later, but stayed within a small area.
Environment
CPW confirms wolf den in Colorado, but has not yet seen pups
On June 18, a few days after the CPW Commission meeting, biologists confirmed one wolf pup during their routine wolf monitoring efforts, which has included attempted observations from the air and ground, remote cameras, public sightings and more.
“We are continuing to actively monitor this area while exercising extreme caution to avoid inadvertently disturbing the adult wolves, this pup, or other pups,” said CPW Wildlife Biologist Brenna Cassidy.
Wolves typically breed in the late winter and give birth to four to six pups on average in the spring, so CPW said it is possible the den is holding more pups. CPW plans to continue to monitor the den to determine the litter size and monitor the new pack.
CPW will also work with local landowners to reduce any potential conflicts.
CPW did not have any photos or videos to share of the spotted wolf pup as of this article's publishing time.
Wolves typically give birth in April at a den, where the pups spend their first couple months of life. This is the same time that wild ungulates, like deer and elk, also give birth, so adult wolves can go after easier prey. When the wolf pups reach about eight weeks, the adults will move the pups to something called "rendezvous areas," which are similar to dens, but are more of a general shape at a fixed location where the pups can grow up and interact with the rest of the pack. These rendezvous areas have access to water, cover and lack of disturbances.
Over the following months, pups will begin to travel farther from the home site with the adult wolves.
Wolf pup survival rates vary, but CPW said about half, or slightly more than half, of pups make it past one year.
Wild wolves survive about three to four years in the wild, though captive ones can live beyond 10 years, CPW said.
In Jackson County, a wolf pair, which had traveled from Wyoming into Colorado naturally, mated and gave birth to a six-pup litter in 2021. It was the first known wolf litter to call Colorado home since the 1940s.
Watch Denver7's exclusive story on how the state's wolf conflict coordinator and ranchers have found common ground protecting livestock.
