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A wolf pup from the first litter born in Colorado since the state voted to reintroduce the animal has been fitted with a tracking collar.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) said they had collared the wolf pup on Wednesday. The pup was named 2202, with "22" indicating the year the animal was born and "02" indicating its gender. Females are assigned even numbers and males odd numbers.
Gray wolves historically lived across much of the Western U.S., including Colorado, but humans wiped them out in the state by the 1940s. Currently the CPW estimates there are up to six wolves in the state, all from the same pack as 2202.
Colorado narrowly voted to reintroduce gray wolves back into the state in November 2020. The vote on Proposition 114 mandated their official reintroduction by 2023 but was not universally popular. Many in rural areas voted against the policy and some farmers have reported livestock being taken by wolves since the vote.
The pack was linked with the killing of two cows and the death of a dog in Jackson County this year.
People are permitted to "haze" or harass wolves away but shooting them without permission in Colorado is illegal. Killing wolves without permission in the state can lead to fines of up to $100,000 and a prison sentence of up to a year in jail. Hunting licenses can also be revoked from anyone convicted of illegally killing the animals in state.
The Trump administration delisted gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act in November 2020 but a judge restored federal protections for the animals in most of the U.S. on Thursday. Gray wolves are also considered endangered protected species under state law in Colorado.
The CPW said that wolf 2202 was born to a female wolf who migrated into the state from the Snake River Pack in Wyoming last year. The pup's mother, known as F1084, was previously fitted with a collar but the CPW said the device had stopped transmitting.
"The second GPS collar in this pack will allow our biologists and wildlife managers to learn more about the behavior of these naturally migrating wolves," said CPW director Dan Prenzlow in a statement.
Wolf 2202 was darted with a tranquilizer gun by CPW officials from a helicopter before the tracking collar was fitted and was given a physical check-up.
"The wolf pup was given a health exam during the collaring process and appears to be in good health," said CPW terrestrial section manager Brian Dreher.
