By James Anderson, The Associated Press While gray wolves are under pressure from a federal delisting and increased hunting in some Rocky Mountain states, Colorado wildlife officials heard a number of detailed options Thursday for implementing a voter-approved reintroduction of the species west of the Continental Divide. The highlights of ongoing work by a Colorado Parks […]
animals
Elk roaming Colorado with tire around neck for 2 years freed
PINE — Wildlife officials in Colorado say an elusive elk that has been wandering the hills with a car tire around its neck for at least two years has finally been freed of the obstruction. The 4 1/2-year-old, 600-pound (270-kilogram) bull elk was spotted near Pine Junction, southwest of Denver, on Saturday evening and tranquilized, […]
Where did the wolf pack in northwest Colorado go? Its fate remains a mystery.
By Sam Brasch, CPR News On a hazy July afternoon, wolf expert Karin Vardaman returned to a spring-fed pond in Colorado’s northwestern-most corner. Enough rain had fallen to wet the ground around the watering hole. She tiptoed across the soft earth — careful not to disturb any impressions left by cattle and pronghorn antelope — […]
Why have gray wolves failed to gain a foothold in Colorado?
By Paige Blankenbuehler, High Country News This story was originally published by High Country News and is republished here by permission. In the early days of October 2020, a soft breeze blew across Cold Spring Mountain, rustling the sagebrush and aspen groves. Three prominent conservationists camped near the weathered land marker that identified the junction […]
Loveland couple files lawsuit over police shooting of 14-month-old dog who ran at officer
By Colleen Slevin, The Associated Press A couple whose young dog was shot by a police officer in a northern Colorado city has filed a lawsuit accusing the officer’s supervisors of covering up what happened and claiming that the city has fostered a culture that encourages the use of force. In body camera footage released […]
Biden administration backs end to wolf protections but hunting worries grow
By Matthew Brown and John Flesher, The Associated Press FARIBAULT, Minn. — President Joe Biden’s administration is sticking by the decision under former President Donald Trump to lift protections for gray wolves across most of the U.S. But a top federal wildlife official on Friday told The Associated Press there is growing concern over aggressive […]
Woman seriously injured in moose attack in western Colorado
GLENWOOD SPRINGS — An elderly woman is recovering from severe injuries after she was attacked by a cow moose outside a home in western Colorado. The woman, whose name was not released, was taking a dog out on a leash when she was attacked Friday night outside a home south of Glenwood Springs, Colorado Parks […]
Feinstein wants probe into how many wild horses end up in slaughterhouses as Western drought forces roundups
By Scott Sonner, The Associated Press RENO, Nev. — Sen. Dianne Feinstein is calling on federal land managers to conduct an investigation to determine how many of the wild horses captured on public lands in the U.S. West end up at slaughterhouses. The California Democrat also wants the federal Bureau of Land Management to reevaluate […]
Coalition seeks relisting of gray wolves in US West as states pass laws to drastically cut their numbers
By Keith Ridler, The Associated Press BOISE, Idaho — Wildlife advocates on Thursday petitioned federal officials to restore federal protections for gray wolves throughout the U.S. West after Idaho and Montana passed laws intended to drastically cut their numbers. Western Watersheds Project, WildEarth Guardians and others sent the petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife […]
Colorado is conducting an ambitious Front Range bald eagle survey
Colorado has launched a four-year study of American bald eagles to determine how the protected raptors have adapted to population growth along the metropolitan Front Range and identify planning measures that could ensure the bird’s future. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says the study, involving biologists and volunteers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and […]