Living with Wolves

06/05/2026

FACT CHECK: A viral social media post claiming that Colorado recently released 15 Mexican wolves from New Mexico into the state is false. According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Mexican wolves are not part of Colorado's wolf reintroduction program and cannot be released in the state under current federal recovery guidelines. The post also featured what appears to be an AI-generated image. Colorado's wolf reintroduction effort has focused on gray wolves, and the state has paused any new wolf releases for 2026. CPW reports that a minimum of 32 gray wolves are currently known to be in Colorado.

A post that getting a little bit of attention online claims that Colorado has recently released another 15 wolves from New Mexico as part of its wolf reintroduction program. A few key factors point to that not being the case. The June 2 post from a hunting-themed page claims that “Colorado wildlif...

06/04/2026

Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s 2025–26 Gray Wolf Annual Report shows that Colorado’s reintroduced wolf population continues to grow despite ongoing challenges. Biologists documented a minimum of 32 wolves statewide, including 14 pups across four established packs, highlighting successful reproduction and pack formation. However, the state also recorded 10 adult wolf mortalities during the biological year, resulting in an estimated 61% adult survival rate. The report details continued monitoring, livestock conflict mitigation, compensation programs, research efforts, and public outreach as wildlife managers work to balance wolf recovery with the concerns of ranchers and local communities.

On May 7, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) issued its Gray Wolf Annual Report for biological year 2025-2026 from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, and provided an update

06/03/2026

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has suspended its effort to lethally remove a wolf in northern Stevens County after unsuccessful attempts to locate the animal. Director Kelly Susewind had authorized the removal of one wolf on May 22 following repeated livestock depredations attributed to the pack, despite ranchers implementing a range of nonlethal deterrents. WDFW reported that staff made daily efforts to find the wolf but were unable to do so, leading the agency to halt the operation while continuing to monitor the situation.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has called off plans to kill a wolf in northern Stevens County after trying without success for a week. No cows or calves […]

06/02/2026

A Colorado rancher has claimed that a ranch hand illegally shot and killed the breeding female—often referred to as the mother—of the King Mountain wolf pack on March 10 at Nottingham Ranch in northwestern Colorado. According to the ranch owner, the wolf had been involved in repeated livestock depredations, but the killing occurred outside the circumstances under which wolves can legally be killed under state and federal protections. The incident was reported to authorities and is now being investigated by law enforcement and wildlife officials. Conservation groups have expressed concern because the loss of a breeding female can significantly disrupt a pack and threaten the survival of its pups. The case is being closely watched as a major test of Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program and the state’s response to illegal wolf killings amid ongoing tensions between ranchers and wolf advocates.

A ranch hand killed the King Mountain wolfpack's mother, sparking a probe that could test state rules on lethal take rules.

06/01/2026

Washington wildlife officials have authorized the killing of one wolf in northeast Washington following three suspected livestock depredations in the Aladdin Valley area. The decision comes despite uncertainty over which wolf or wolves were involved, as three packs occupy the region. State officials said the authorization was issued after multiple incidents occurred within a short period and after non-lethal deterrents, including foxlights, had been deployed for more than a month. The decision highlights the ongoing challenge of balancing livestock conflicts with wolf recovery efforts. Washington's wolf population reached a record minimum of 270 wolves and 49 packs in 2025, yet the vast majority of packs continue to coexist without documented livestock conflicts. As wolf recovery progresses, investments in proactive, non-lethal coexistence strategies remain critical to reducing conflict and ensuring a future where wolves and rural communities can thrive together.

Washington will permit the killing of a single gray wolf in the state’s northeastern corner following three suspected attacks on livestock.

05/29/2026

A new path forward for the world’s rarest wolf 🐺❤️ With fewer than 20 red wolves remaining in the wild, every life matters. In North Carolina, new wildlife road crossings are being designed to help protect critically endangered red wolves from one of their biggest threats: vehicle collisions. These crossings will reconnect habitat, allowing wolves and other wildlife to move safely through their landscape while reducing deadly encounters with cars. For a species hanging on by a thread, solutions like this prove that thoughtful conservation and coexistence can make a real difference. 🐾🌎

Design work is underway on the project in North Carolina’s Alligator River Wildlife Refuge

05/28/2026

Europe’s ecosystems are changing in real time.

As wolves recover across parts of Europe after decades of persecution, another predator is rapidly expanding alongside them: the golden jackal. Scientists say jackals are using human-dominated landscapes as a kind of shield, thriving in areas wolves tend to avoid.

It’s a fascinating reminder that conservation is never simple. When we alter landscapes, protect species, and reshape ecosystems, wildlife adapts in unexpected ways.

Nature is resilient, dynamic, and constantly rewriting the rules.

Human activity may be enabling the expansion of golden jackals across Europe by reducing the suppressive effect of gray wolves, suggests research published in Nature Ecology & Evolution. This human-mediated interaction could allow jackals to occupy up to 75% of the continent, almost six times more t...

05/27/2026

In a powerful new essay for Yellowstonian, our friend Franz Camenzind examines the deeper failures in wildlife management exposed by the Cody Roberts wolf torture case in Wyoming. Franz argues that while recent legislation addressed prolonged cruelty after capture, Wyoming law still allows predators like wolves, coyotes, and foxes to be chased down and killed across much of the state with virtually no protections. Drawing from decades of experience as a canid biologist and conservationist, he challenges the double standard that treats predators as disposable rather than as essential parts of functioning ecosystems.

Franz calls for a modernized approach to wildlife stewardship rooted in ethics, science, and Aldo Leopold’s land ethic, writing that all native species should be recognized and managed as integral parts of the ecosystems they inhabit. It is an important and deeply thought-provoking piece that asks difficult questions about coexistence, public trust, and the future of wildlife conservation in the American West.

Franz Camenzind, a lifelong Jackson Hole conservationist and canid biologist, says wildlife management is failing to uphold the public trust

05/26/2026

DO WOLVES MOURN?

After a mountain lion killed a member of the Sawtooth Pack, we witnessed something we never expected- the pack grieved. They seemed visibly affected by her loss, and their behavior clearly changed. They stopped playing and no longer howled together as family. For nearly six weeks they moved solemnly throughout their territory, their usual spark and energy gone. Motaki, the most mischievous member of the pack, always instigated play. Without her, they appeared to have lost the spirit.

Learn more about Wolf Behavior in our National Geographic book, The Wisdom of Wolves: Lessons from the Sawtooth Pack.

https://www.livingwithwolves.org/products/

05/25/2026

A lone wolf has crossed into Nevada, and scientists are watching closely to see what happens next. Moments like this matter because wolves naturally dispersing into new landscapes can help restore ecosystems and reconnect populations across the West. Their return also brings challenges surrounding livestock conflicts and coexistence, but every new wolf story is a reminder that wildlife does not recognize state lines. The future of wolf recovery depends on whether we choose fear or coexistence. 🐺

As gray wolf populations expand in California and the broader region, some researchers say Nevada may be entering the earliest stages of the recovery story.