JACKSON COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Gray wolf reintroduction has been a controversial issue since voters approved Proposition 114 by less than one percentage point last year. Now, the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association has reported a wolf killed a cow near Walden.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife has not confirmed this case but is actively investigating.
According to the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, the wolf killed a 500-pound replacement heifer, a cow that was brought into the herd to breed. The cow was killed in the same place where wolves had previously migrated to Colorado and had a litter.
CPW confirms there are as many as six wolves in the state, and that number is expected to grow in the next few years due to Prop 114. Wolves will be fully reintroduced into the state by the end of 2023.
If CPW confirms the attack, they will pay market value for the cow. Last year they paid out nearly half a million dollars for 183 claims.