Colorado Parks and Wildlife Pauses Wolf Removals Amid Livestock Gathering Season
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has temporarily halted the removal of wolves that have repeatedly preyed on livestock, allowing them to remain on the landscape during the fall livestock gathering season. This pause has been met with strong criticism from…
Colorado Springs Pueblo, CO, October 5, 2026 —
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has announced a temporary pause on the lethal removal of wolves involved in livestock predation. This decision allows the animals to remain on the landscape through the critical fall livestock gathering season.
The move by CPW has drawn significant backlash from Colorado’s agriculture trade groups and rural leaders. Critics contend that the pause constitutes a breach of prior agreements and undermines the process of stakeholder consultation. The specific details of these agreements were not provided in the trend summary.
Prior to this recent halt, CPW had taken action against wolves identified as repeat predators. The agency reported that it had lethally removed a total of five wolves since April. Information regarding the specific dates or locations of these previous removals was not detailed.
The fall livestock gathering season is a period when herds are moved, often across various terrains, and is considered a sensitive time for wildlife interactions. The decision to halt removals during this period aims to manage the ongoing conflict between wolf reintroduction and agricultural interests, though the effectiveness and implications of this pause remain a point of contention among stakeholders.
The contractor responsible for the removals, if any, was not specified. Furthermore, the specific types or breeds of livestock preyed upon, as well as the precise number of incidents leading to the previous removal decisions, were not made available in the provided information.
Story summarized from the original created by Rachel Gabel on gazette.com, see more information here.
Media gallery
