Colorado Parks and Wildlife

The patriarch of the West Slope’s Copper Creek Pack, the first formed since reintroduction, died last week just days after officers captured the animal with plans to move the family to prevent livestock attacks. Parks and Wildlife said Monday the wolf had a severe leg injury and was in poor health before he was captured.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the second biggest threat to biodiversity is invasive species preceded only by habitat loss. Invasive plants are spread by natural forces, like wind and wildfire, and largely in part, by unknowing humans. Reporter Lily Jones has more to the story.

Invasive zebra mussels could harm native fish and clog agricultural equipment. Until recently they had never before been seen in the stretch of the Colorado River near Grand Junction.

Conservationists are urging patience and warning that removing any of the 11 wolves in Colorado so early in the voter-mandated restoration could hurt the chances of success.

Colorado’s bald eagle population was hit hard by avian influenza in 2022, reducing the number of nests by about 20 percent. But now, the eagles have made a remarkable recovery.

Conservation groups are celebrating the approval of the wolverine restoration bill. They see Colorado as a key piece of a strategy to ensure the survival of the extremely solitary member of the weasel family.

It's been several months since Colorado Parks and Wildlife released 10 gray wolves captured in Oregon with the hopes of reestablishing a population here. This week one of the wolves turned up dead in Larimer County. Federal wildlife officials are investigating but they say it appears the wolf died of natural causes. The Colorado Sun reporter Tracy Ross joined KUNC's Michael Lyle, Jr. to provide an update on the situation.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials say a plan is necessary since mountain lions and humans have been interacting more frequently along the Front Range.

The invasive rusty crayfish was discovered in Lake Granby, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife is concerned because of its proximity to the Colorado River.

Colorado says it’s ready to release its first batch of wolves and meet the demands of a 2020 ballot initiative where voters said they wanted the animal back on the landscape.Now all it needs is to convince another state to donate a few.