Federal wildlife officials announced Thursday they are seeking information related to what they called the illegal killing of a gray wolf reintroduced to Colorado as part of the state’s voter-mandated restoration program.

The wolf, an adult male known as 2309-OR, was captured in August as part of the Copper Creek pack, which was rounded up by state wildlife officials following a series of attacks on livestock in Grand County. Several days later, the wolf died in captivity from preexisting injuries “unrelated to the capture,” state officials said at the time.

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Officials ordered a necropsy, which subsequently “revealed that a gunshot wound initiated the poor condition of the wolf and ultimately led to the cause of death,” the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in a press release Thursday.

The USFWS investigation is the first of its kind following the first release of 10 wolves captured in Oregon in Grand and Summit counties in December 2023. The releases marked the beginning of Colorado’s gray wolf reintroduction program, managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife pursuant to a ballot initiative narrowly approved by voters in 2020.

Though the program mandates compensation for livestock lost to wolf predation, it has been bitterly opposed by Colorado ranchers. The capture of the Copper Creek pack followed the loss of at least nine cattle and 15 sheep in and around Grand County in 2024, though industry groups claim that their “undocumented losses” are higher.

Colorado’s reintroduced gray wolf population is protected under the Endangered Species Act, making it illegal to harass, harm, or kill them in most circumstances. The USFWS said it’s offering an unspecified “monetary reward” for information about 2309-OR’s killing. Tips can be submitted by calling 1-844-FWS-TIPS (397-8477), by sending an email to FWS_TIPS@fws.gov, or by visiting the agency’s website.

Wildlife advocates previously launched an anti-poaching reward of up to $50,000 for “information leading to formal charges against anyone who illegally kills a wolf in Colorado.” A second reintroduced wolf, known as 2307-OR, died in Grand County as a result of a fight with another wolf, but USFWS necropsy also found the animal had an “old, healed gunshot wound to its rear leg.”

The USFWS investigation comes as the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission is set to weigh a request from livestock industry groups to “pause” the wolf reintroduction program. The commission’s 11 voting members will take up the petition at its January 8 meeting; agency staff have formally recommended denying the petition and proceeding with the release of another 10 to 15 wolves sourced from Canada this winter.

A spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife declined to comment Thursday, referring questions about the investigation to USFWS representatives.

“Ultimately, this illegal activity illustrates why Colorado must proceed apace with releasing more wolves over the coming months and years,” the group Rocky Mountain Wolf Project said in a press release Thursday. “We must ensure the success of our wolf restoration program.”

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