Colorado’s wolf comeback hit a snag over this past weekend when Washington state basically said, “Not so fast!” after Colorado asked for 15 wolves to keep its reintroduction plan on track. Biologically, Washington could’ve helped, but locals and commissioners weren’t having it—Washington’s wolves are still labeled as endangered, and they believe the population is too fragile to spare any. Colorado can only source wolves from northern Rockies states like Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, but so far, none of those neighbors have been willing to play ball. Montana, of course, has its own wolf headaches to deal with, so it’s not exactly rushing to lend a “paw.”
Meanwhile, Colorado’s wolf crew, which is said to consist of 25 or so pups spread across a handful of packs, is hanging in there, trying to grow a self-sustaining population. So, for now, the state’s wolf dreams are alive but still very much on a tight leash.
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