Colorado gray wolf recaptured, returned after crossing into New Mexico

Colorado Parks and Wildlife recently re-released a gray wolf in Grand County after it was recaptured in New Mexico.

The unpaired male wolf was a member of the Copper Creek pack, but left the pack in the fall of 2025. Under a Memorandum of Understanding with the bordering states of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, the gray wolf was returned to Colorado. CPW said the agreement helps protect the integrity of the Mexican wolf recovery program in New Mexico by preventing the groups from interbreeding.

They said that CPW staff considered factors including proximity to unpaired female wolves to support the possibility of pairing, nearby natural prey populations and distance from livestock when choosing the best location to re-release the wolf.

"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."