Reintroduced Colorado gray wolf dies in Rocky Mountain National Park

A collared gray wolf circulated in Colorado in January as part of the state s historic reintroduction effort died in Rocky Mountain National Park this week wildlife executives revealed Thursday Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists received a mortality alert from the female wolf s collar on Sunday and later proven the wolf died in the park the agency mentioned in a news release State administrators did not say how the wolf died but reported the death will be investigated by the U S Fish and Wildlife Organization because gray wolves are protected by the Endangered Species Act Related Articles Federal agency kills collared Colorado wolf suspected of killing sheep in Wyoming Colorado s gray wolves roaming farther into Western Slope new map shows The wolf identified as -BC was one of gray wolves captured in British Columbia and circulated in Eagle and Pitkin counties in January the second release since voters approved reintroduction in Wolf survival in Colorado is normal for the Rocky Mountain region state officers explained Thursday and deaths are factored into the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan The average lifespan of a gray wolf in the Rockies is between and years according to CPW This is the fifth death among the reintroduced wolves The deaths have been linked to natural causes as well as intentional killings including by federal officers in Wyoming in March after a collared Colorado gray wolf killed sheep Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter Get more Colorado news by signing up for our Mile High Roundup email newsletter