April 5, 2024
For Immediate Release
On Tuesday April 2, one of our 12 members was investigating distressed bawling noises carried on wind gusts in Grand County, Colorado. The temperature was below 9 degrees at daybreak and as scavengers as well as hunters, it’s our job to take advantage of vulnerable animals to make the most of available food resources. Upon closer inspection while trying to grab a quick breakfast, our member realized that the animal in question was a domestic calf and wisely decided to evacuate the area. Domestic cattle are associated with humans, the most dangerous species on the planet.
As wolves, we are often blamed for a wide range of offenses that we do not commit. We do not kill for fun, wipe out our prey, and we don’t wound animals intentionally and waste food resources unless forced to do so. Only humans do that. We also don’t kill substantial numbers of livestock even in areas where we could. Ten of us were brought to Colorado three months ago. This is the first incident reported since then of a conflict between us and humans. In perspective, this calf was one of over 2.5 million cattle in Colorado and one of the 50,000 that die every year due to disease, bad weather, birthing problems, and more. It goes without saying that humans kill far more livestock than any other species on earth.
We help cull weak and diseased animals from wild herds – that’s our role in Nature – and take the occasional domestic livestock especially those diseased and dying animals left unprotected in remote areas. We apologize for these occasional trespasses and our supporters are funding a generous compensation program to cover the cost of these meals. There are also many proactive ways you can help us avoid mistaking your livestock for a wild dinner. Just check CPW’s website for a few of those tips. Here’s a link: Living With Wolves in Colorado: How to Avoid Wildlife Conflicts (state.co.us)
P.S. You brought us back here. Please learn how to coexist with us. It’s really not that hard. Just ask the ranchers already coexisting with us in other parts of the country starting with the Wood River Wolf Project in Idaho.
Yours Sincerely,
The Wolves
