On Dec. 11, 2025, Colorado Parks and Wildlife re-released gray wolf 2403 in Grand County after it was captured by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish in the state of New Mexico.
“We are grateful to our partners at the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish for their efforts to capture and return a member of Colorado’s gray wolf population,” said Acting CPW Director Laura Clellan. “Gray wolf 2403 has been returned to Colorado and released in a location where it can best contribute to CPW’s efforts to establish a self-sustaining wolf population while concurrently attempting to minimize potential wolf-related livestock conflicts.”
When relocating gray wolf 2403, CPW staff considered many factors regarding the most appropriate release location in this unusual instance, including:
- proximity to an unpaired female gray wolf in an effort to support pairing,
- nearby natural prey populations,
- and distance from livestock.
CPW will not be publicly disclosing any further information about the specific release location. State and local stakeholders, and Parks and Wildlife Commissioners were contacted and provided information about the operation.
This capture effort was initiated by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish in compliance with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the bordering states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, regarding the reintroduction of gray wolves.
This MOU was created as part of CPW’s planning for wolf restoration in the state of Colorado prior to any translocation efforts. This multistate agreement establishes the dual intent that any gray wolves that leave Colorado (to UT/AZ/NM) will be relocated back to the state and that any Mexican wolves that leave their nonessential experimental population area within Arizona and New Mexico will be relocated back to within the designated Experimental Area in southern Arizona/New Mexico. In this case, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is leading the operation in order to protect the integrity of the Mexican wolf recovery program.
“We recognized during the planning process that we would need to have consideration and plans to protect the genetic integrity of the Mexican wolf recovery program, while also establishing a gray wolf population in Colorado,” said CPW’s Wolf Conservation Program Manager Eric Odell. “This MOU is a demonstration of the proactive steps CPW and neighboring state wildlife agencies took during our planning and implementation processes. Ultimately, the intent is to aid with the success of our program here in Colorado while minimizing any adverse impacts on Mexican wolf recovery efforts in our neighboring states.”
Gray wolf 2403 was a member of the Copper Creek pack but dispersed from the pack in fall of 2025. CPW did not relocate this wolf to address a depredation situation, but because our counterparts at the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish captured the wolf and returned it to Colorado to protect the Mexican wolf population. As always, if conflicts with livestock occur, CPW will make all management decisions on a case-by-case basis after evaluating the circumstances, the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan, and relevant law.
