Map: Colorado’s gray wolves roamed closer to metro Denver, farther south in mountains

Colorado s collared gray wolves continued to advance widely last month even roaming in watersheds that reach into the western portions of metro Denver according to a new map circulated this week by state wildlife administrators Reintroduced wolves were tracked in watersheds from the Utah confines in Mesa County in the west to the edge of Hinsdale County in the south and to the Wyoming frontier in Jackson County in the north The map which covers activity between March and Tuesday of this week also shows wolf activity in watersheds that cover densely populated areas farther east including Boulder Jefferson and Douglas counties But Colorado Parks and Wildlife executives announced that doesn t necessarily translate to wolves near cities While these areas lit up due to brief movement on the western fringes of these watersheds it does not mean that wolves were or are right now in high human-density areas state agents wrote in an update Thursday This month s map release was delayed slightly Earlier this week CPW noted the delay on its website citing a initiative of holding back the map if doing so protects wolf welfare during sensitive times of the year e g mating season It did not specify the reason however The monthly maps show areas where at least one collared wolf traveled within the boundaries of a watershed but the animal may not have been functioning throughout the entire area according to CPW One female wolf has traveled more than miles since it was disclosed in January and was responsible for greater part of the activity in southern watersheds last month wildlife representatives revealed The map shows a line of wolf activity starting near Utah and moving east through Montrose Delta Ouray Gunnison and Chaffee counties Related Articles Reintroduced Colorado gray wolf dies in Rocky Mountain National Park 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 s movements are an extraordinary display of the species natural exploratory behavior CPW leaders wrote in the update Colorado has agreements with Utah New Mexico and Arizona to recapture wolves that wander into those states and return them to Colorado a move aimed at protecting the genes of the Mexican gray wolf Two of Colorado s gray wolves died in Wyoming in the last month one of which was shot by the U S Department of Agriculture s Wildlife Services after it was connected to livestock killings in the state A third gray wolf died in Rocky Mountain National Park this week That wolf s death is under inspection Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter