The Risk Behind Recovery- What the Death of Wolf No. 2305 Reveals

A northwestern wolf wearing a radio collar.

Wildlife conservation efforts rely heavily on strict safety protocols, particularly during critical interventions meant to support the survival of vulnerable species. Despite these safeguards, operations do not always unfold as intended. Such was the case with a breeding male wolf from Colorado’s King Mountain wolf pack, which died on January 28 during a collaring operation conducted by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) staff in Routt County. The three-year-old wolf, identified as No. 2305, had been captured in Oregon and released in Grand County in 2023. According to CPW Acting Director Laura Clellan, both agency staff and contractors adhered to established animal care guidelines throughout the operation. However, when the wolf was transferred from the capture site to CPW field personnel, he was found unresponsive. Despite immediate resuscitation efforts, staff determined that the animal had died. Clellan noted that while CPW has previously conducted successful capture operations, this incident has led the agency to temporarily suspend such activities while it reviews the circumstances surrounding the wolf’s death. To determine whether underlying health issues may have contributed, CPW conducted a necropsy at its Fort Collins health laboratory. Final laboratory results are still pending. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service authorized the necropsy, as the death of No. 2305 was not considered a potential law enforcement matter. 

No. 2305 was the first wolf to die during a collaring operation in Colorado and the twelfth wolf released as part of the state’s reintroduction effort. In January 2025, an additional 15 wolves were released in Eagle or Pitkin counties after being relocated from British Columbia. Of those animals, three collared wolves—two gray females, No. 2504 and No. 2506, and one male, No. 2513—were later found dead under unexplained circumstances, with mortality investigations still ongoing. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has also conducted necropsies on several wolves that have died in Colorado, and those results remain pending. The death of No. 2305 underscores the reality that even when conservation protocols are carefully followed, unpredictable factors can arise and alter outcomes. Such setbacks are an inherent part of wildlife conservation and should not be viewed as insurmountable obstacles. While the loss of No. 2305 introduces uncertainty—particularly regarding its potential impact on the King Mountain pack and Colorado’s broader wolf recovery efforts—CPW wolf conservation program manager Eric Odell emphasized that the agency will continue monitoring the pack to assess its status and contribution to establishing a self-sustaining wolf population in the state.