Colorado Gray Wolf 2514 Mortality in Rocky Mountain National Park

Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists received a mortality alert for female gray wolf 2514-BC on April 20. The agency, in cooperation with the National Park Service, has confirmed the mortality took place in Rocky Mountain National Park. As a federally listed species under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating. A final determination of the cause of death will not be made until the investigation is completed, including the necropsy, a foundational component of the overall investigation process. 2514-BC was part of the group of wolves translocated to Colorado from British Columbia. No additional details are available at this time.

Wolf survival in Colorado is within normal margins for a wolf population in the Rocky Mountains. Any reintroduction effort includes eventual mortality levels and these were incorporated into the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan. Mortality is a factor that plays a role in all natural populations. The average lifespan of a gray wolf in the Rocky Mountains is generally 3-4 years.