MEEKER | Following recent reports posted online about two collared female wolves tracked near Meeker, the HT asked Rachael Gonzales, public information officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), Northwest Region, to confirm or deny the reports and received the following reply:
“The level of local movement information you reference is handled by CPW field staff so they can inform local area producers when wolves are spending time in an area and work to establish site assessments to identify and deploy deterrence measures. Any specific location and movement confirmations are made at the field staff level directly to producers.”
“CPW encourages anyone who believes they have seen a wolf to fill out the wolf sighting form found on our website (https://cpw.state.co.us/wolf-sightings). In addition to the wolf sighting form, members of the public can also find information on living and recreating in areas where wolves live.”
In a Feb. 13 press release regarding the wolf reintroduction effort, CPW stated, “It is anticipated that wolves will expand their distribution throughout the state widely over time. CPW field staff inform local area producers when wolves are spending time in an area and work to establish site assessments to identify and deploy deterrence measures.
“CPW relies on sightings from the public to let us know if other wolves are being seen on the landscape that have migrated in from other states. CPW recently confirmed that a scat sample from the northwest corner of Moffat County tested positive for wolf DNA, meaning there is at least one uncollared wolf on the landscape in our population estimate that was not part of the agency’s reintroduction efforts. CPW provides important information for the public to learn how to spot the difference between a coyote and a gray wolf on our website.”
There is no guarantee that images or reports posted to social media will be seen by CPW officials. If you believe you’ve seen a wolf, complete CPW’s wolf sighting form so that they can notify local area producers.
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