Where are Colorado’s wolves? Latest map shows pull back from southwestern region

Colorado wolves didn’t roam as far into the Western Slope in the last month as they did earlier this spring, a new map released by state wildlife officials shows.

The collared wolves last month pushed into southwest Colorado for the first time, with at least one wolf visiting watersheds northeast of Durango — but the wolves did not return to that area between late May and late June, the new map shows.

The reintroduced apex predators remained in watersheds just west of metro Denver, in areas that include Gilpin, Clear Creek and Jefferson counties, the map shows. Their range stretched from Jackson County in northern Colorado to Hindsdale County in the south, according to the latest map.

The map does not provide wolves’ exact locations, but rather includes watersheds in the wolves’ range if at least one wolf enters the watershed at some point during the map’s time frame.

Wildlife officials reintroduced wolves to Colorado in December 2023. Nine of the 25 wolves released in Colorado — or their descendants — have died or been killed since their release. At least five pups have been born, and wildlife officials expect additional pups this year. A Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesman did not immediately return a request for comment Friday on whether any new pups have been confirmed. Staff have been monitoring four potential den sites.

Wildlife officials killed one wolf over a pattern of attacks on domestic animals on May 29. That wolf was a descendant of the released wolves. Another wolf, one of 15 released in January, died in northwest Colorado on May 31. The cause of that animal’s death is still being determined.

The survival rate is within the normal range, wildlife officials said.

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