The Wolf they Tried to Kill … Survived ...
A young wolf in northwestern Colorado has just survived something very few wild animals ever do — relentless human persecution.
This wolf, known as Wolf 2404, is the last remaining pup from the Copper Creek pack, the first pack to produce pups after wolves were restored to Colorado.
His life has been shaped by conflict almost from the beginning.
His family was torn apart when wildlife officials relocated the pack from Pitkin County after livestock conflicts with a rancher who refused to close an open carcass pit or adopt basic coexistence measures.
His mother and four siblings were captured and moved.
His father — the breeding male — was illegally shot, later dying from the wound after capture by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
One of his brothers was later killed by wildlife officials, and another brother that naturally dispersed into New Mexico was captured and returned to Colorado simply for crossing a political boundary.
And the fifth pup — this wolf — was left behind.
Against the odds, the young wolf survived his first winter alone, something extremely difficult for a young dispersing wolf. Later, when he preyed on sheep while trying to survive, officials ordered lethal control and shot him. DNA confirmed the wolf had been hit — but wildlife officers never recovered a body. Because he survived the gunshot wound.
For the past month Colorado Parks and Wildlife and federal Wildlife Services attempted to find him again using drones and thermal imaging.
After 30 days of searching, they failed.
The young wolf they tried to remove is still alive.
For many people following this story, Wolf 2404 has become more than just another wolf in a management report. He has become a symbol of the difficult question facing Colorado today:
Can wolves and humans truly coexist?
Or will wolves continue to be punished simply for trying to survive in landscapes we share? #coppercreek #colorado #wolf #greywolf #wolfpack #wolfconservation #wildlifeconservation #AnimalNews
