The new packs are known as the King Mountain Pack in Routt County, the One Ear Pack in Jackson County and the Three Creeks Pack in Rio Blanco County.
See adorable wolf pups caught by a trail camera
As Colorado has been rebuilding its gray wolf population, the state’s wildlife department announced that three new wolf packs have formed this year.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife via Storyful
Wildlife officials in Colorado have reported three new gray wolf packs as part of the state’s plan to rebuild populations in the area, and shared footage of three pups captured on a trail camera.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife made the announcement on Thursday, July 17, sharing video of three gray wolf pups in Routt County, part of northwestern Colorado. In the footage, the pups appear to scratch their ears, rest a bit and playfully bite one another.
The new packs are known as King Mountain Pack in Routt County, One Ear Pack in Jackson County and Three Creeks Pack in Rio Blanco County.
According to the department, officials recognize wolf packs once a breeding pair has given birth to pups.
The department said staff members have seen pups at multiple dens, although the total pup count has yet to be confirmed. It can be difficult for wildlife officials to account for the pups during late spring or early summer because they are small, live in habitats with dense cover and they may spend time underground, the department said.
“Successful pack formation is vital to our wolf restoration plan – not just for bolstering Colorado’s wolf population, but also for developing pack territories,” the department said. “Defined territories help to monitor and better predict wolf behaviors.”
More wolves will be relocated to Colorado during the winter of 2025 to 2026, officials said. Staff members are scheduling consultations with stakeholders in the planned release zone.
The ups and downs of Colorado wolf populations
Gray wolves were reintroduced to Colorado in 2023 and then again in 2025, but the move has been criticized because of the threat wolves pose to livestock and people.
The day the footage of the pups was shared, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission awarded two Colorado ranchers nearly $200,000 in wolf depredation compensation claims, reported the Coloradoan, part of the USA TODAY Network.
A lawyer for one rancher said her client reported 89 missing and dead calves in 2024 and averaged 92 over the three years prior.
How are officials making sure wolf populations don’t create conflict?
Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in this month’s update that it has made efforts to minimize conflict as wildlife and livestock movements change with the seasons. These efforts have evolved, the department said.
One way the department is minimizing conflict is by having range riders present for animals in open range. Range riders look out for predators, monitor livestock health and track wildlife.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife has nine range riders focusing on areas with concentrated wolf activity; they can move to other areas if need be, though.
The department said it is also investigating cases where wolves do harm other animals, and works with the Colorado Department of Agriculture for carcass removal, including in remote areas.
Colorado officials: 5 wolves dead since January 2025, but that’s no reason to stop the program
There have been five wolf deaths since January 2025, Eric Odell, the department’s Wolf Conservation program manager said in the update. Two of the deaths were reported in Wyoming, while three were in Colorado.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will determine the cause of death for these wolves since they are from a protected species under the Endangered Species Act.
“We knew from the early stages of planning wolf restoration that there would be some level of mortality amongst translocated gray wolves,” Odell said. “The mortality that has been experienced by the wolf population this year is not a reason to pause translocation efforts.”
Colorado Parks and Wildlife said that soon, the program will hire a Wolf Damage and Conflict Minimization Manager. The individual hired will help support the program’s primary goal, in addition to making sure things go smoothly when working with other agencies.
Contributing: Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY & Miles Blumhardt, The Coloradoan
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.