Unable to escape the “Big Bad Wolf” stereotype, gray wolves are struggling to make their reappearance in Colorado. It is a known fact that wolves do not pose a threat to human safety in any way and they instead bring only positive change to the environment they reside in. In order to spark these changes in Colorado, the wolves need human help to begin the inevitable positive outcomes of their presence.

     Gray wolves are virtually nonexistent in Colorado and in order to restore the ecosystem and economy, their reintroduction is necessary. Colorado’s ecosystem misses the crucial presence of gray wolves in its environment. There is no reason for the wolves’ lack of existence in Colorado and humans, of course, are the reason for their downfall.

     The unfortunate truth is that, though native, wolves have not roamed Colorado since the 1940s, and even then they were on the brink of extinction due to unregulated hunting. Wolves are listed as an endangered species in Colorado, as they have been for years, and since the year 2000 there have only been three documented wolf sightings in the state, and in all, the wolves were found dead. In 2004, a gray female wolf was hit on I-70 by a car and two years later, a collared gray wolf was dead near Rifle due to poison. Most recently in 2015, a wolf was shot because the hunter mistook it for a coyote. 

     A simple change is the only requirement for a lifetime of benefits. Not only do gray wolves protect against climate change and provide an economic boom with tourism; the overall biological and conservation value of wolf reintroduction in Colorado would be significant. This significance is due to the fact that the gray wolves would reconnect the North American wolf population across the entire Rocky Mountain chain  from Alaska to Mexico. Providing a new and necessary balance in the ecosystem. Without gray wolves and other large predators, the ecosystem goes haywire. For example, a 2001 study found that when wolves went extinct in Yellowstone the moose population ballooned to five times its normal size. The moose then demolished the woody vegetation where birds nested and several bird species were eliminated in the park as a result. In addition, Chronic Waste Disease is a major threat to deer and elk in the West, but wolves can, of course, help this issue by reducing the sick animals’ lifespans. By doing so, the wolves limit the amount of time that the diseased animals can spread more of the infections, especially since deer and elk congregate in much smaller herds when wolves are around. This helps to reduce the transmission of illnesses in the herds. This is also important because elk have recently been successfully been restored to Colorado which only proves that it is possible to return the gray wolves to the environment as well to help maintain a balance between the populations. The thinned herds increase the animals’ movement which aerates the soil and creates healthier woodlands and it also decreases predation on smaller mammals. This then ties into the Trophic Cascade effect, and the trickle-down affects the environment to waterways and aquatic life.

     Not only will the reintroduction of gray wolves to Colorado greatly help with maintaining the environment and climate changes but it will also be helpful to the economy. For instance, in Yellowstone, the restoration of wolves cost about $30 million, but it has brought $35.5 million in an annual net benefit to the park and surrounding areas, and it continues to do so. Yet, despite the undeniable positive aspects of gray wolves, it will take the convincing of government officials to aid the re-inhabitation of wolves in Colorado. Without human help, it is extremely unlikely, if not impossible for wolves to re-enter the state because of the inconsequential hunting of wolves in Wyoming which has kept the animals from migrating to Colorado.

     The reintroduction of gray wolves would make for a simple transition and the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project, a collaboration of 20 organizations, along with a myriad of other people and groups on the same page will aid this movement. Experts believe that Western Colorado “represents a true mother-load of ecological habitat for the gray wolf” (Grimes). With the assistance of these groups along with petitions and items of the sort, there is more support than ever. There is no better time for reintroduction then now because of the heightened possibility under a new governor who is seemingly more likely to support the movement. The signatures on this petition will be sent to the governor of Colorado who is currently Jared Polis along with other important members of the Department of Parks and Wildlife.

     The wolves return is crucial and it starts with a few passionate people and petitions to begin the change. All Colorado citizens have to do is bring back the gray wolves to reap the benefits.