One of the male wolves that Colorado Parks and Wildlife relocated from British Columbia to Colorado in January has died. 

The state wildlife agency confirmed Thursday that it received a mortality alert for the wolf (2505-BC) on Sunday, March 16. The wolf was in north-central Wyoming at the time. 

The wolf was killed following the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s investigation and response to a sheep predation event on private land in north-central Wyoming, according to Tanya Espinosa, a spokesperson for the federal agency. 

“Evidence, consistent with wolf depredation was observed at the site, including wolf tracks, struggle sites, carcasses with premortem hemorrhaging, and bite marks consistent with known wolf predations,” Espinosa wrote in a statement. “In total, 5 adult sheep were killed by an adult wolf, including one sheep that was heavily fed upon.” 

The federal agency “removed a wolf at the predation location” March 15, only afterward discovering that it had a Parks and Wildlife collar, Espinosa added. 

The male wolf was one of 15 that Parks and Wildlife brought from British Columbia in January. 

In its statement, Parks and Wildlife said that the agency expects wolves to “travel long distances to find food or mates, including into other states” but that it would not provide additional comment on wildlife movements, operations and regulations in other states. 

Parks and Wildlife has an agreement with Utah, New Mexico and Arizona should any of the reintroduced gray wolves travel to these states. The agreement allows the animals to be recaptured and returned to Colorado to protect the genetic integrity of Mexican wolf populations in those states. 

The agency is aware of at least four wolves that have entered Colorado from other states. This includes one confirmed to be exploring Moffat County in February, one that was tied to the death of a cow in Jackson County in February and two from Wyoming that have been in Colorado since 2021. These two wolves are now collared.   

While this is the first of the British Columbia wolves to die following their relocation, three of the wolves brought to Colorado from Oregon died last year. 

One male died in April following a mountain lion attack. The Copper Creek adult male wolf died following his capture in September from injuries now believed to be from a gunshot wound. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is still investigating the death. Another male died in September. The initial necropsy results from Fish and Wildlife Services indicated its death was related to a fight with another wolf.