Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed 45 gray wolves in the state as of September 24, 2026, up from 32 in the spring. Six days later, the agency temporarily suspended the directive it uses to decide when to kill wolves that repeatedly prey on livestock. CPW said that population growth may not happen this biological year, which ends March 31, 2027.
Who’s out there
CPW’s count includes:
- four reproducing packs
- one pack of four siblings
- several wolves not in a pack
- 20 pups born in 2026
A mixed survival picture
The pups are doing well. CPW reported that 82% of Colorado’s pups survived from April 2025 through March 2026, well above the 50–60% that is typical for wolves in the West.
The adults are doing worse. Adult survival over the same period was 61%, below the roughly 75% typical of a population that isn’t hunted. CPW has lethally removed five wolves since April 1, 2026, all for chronic livestock depredation, and is investigating one more death. Staff are also looking into hair loss in several wolves from two Northwest Colorado packs, which could point to an infectious skin parasite.
What changes now
Until a revised directive is in place, CPW will judge any removal case by case, with what it calls a very conservative approach. CPW Director Laura Clellan said lethal removal has been used only “when all other viable options have been exhausted.”
By April 1, 2027, CPW plans to:
- rewrite the chronic depredation directive with input from stakeholders
- extend the range-riding season in some areas
- keep helping ranchers with non-lethal tools
- pay for confirmed livestock losses promptly
- look into bringing more wolves to Colorado, toward a goal of 30 to 50 wolves over three to five years
CPW also said its genetic analysis shows high diversity in Colorado’s wolves, so inbreeding isn’t standing in the way of recovery.
Why it matters
Pups born in Colorado show that wolves are settling in, but a population only grows if enough adults survive to keep breeding. With adult survival below normal and a possible parasite in two packs, CPW is pulling back on lethal control until it knows whether the population is still on track.
Follow the latest numbers on the Colorado Wolf Tracker.
