In August 2025, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) used thermal imaging to locate and shoot a lone gray wolf on the Western Slope—without ever recovering the body. This young wolf had survived alone through a brutal Rocky Mountain winter after his pack was forcibly relocated by the state in 2024. He was the last free-roaming member of the Copper Creek pack.

His only “crime”? Following instincts, trying to survive—and being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

This wasn’t just another wildlife encounter. It was the direct result of a failed relocation effort that split up the wolf’s family and left him to fend for himself. Then, when he preyed on livestock—a predictable outcome—he was killed.

State officials say they followed legal protocol. But what they’re not addressing is how their own actions set this tragedy in motion.

The public supported wolf reintroduction in Colorado because we believe these animals belong here. That support did not come with a blank check for mismanagement and quiet killings. We cannot allow CPW to continue making the same mistakes—relocating wolves only to later shoot them when things go wrong.

We, the undersigned, call on Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Governor Jared Polis to:

• Immediately halt all lethal removals of wolves across the state.
• Launch an independent review of the 2024 relocation program and conflict-prevention strategies.
• Commit to transparency and public accountability in future decisions impacting gray wolves.

Colorado can do better. These animals deserve better. The lone Copper Creek wolf deserved a chance to find his pack—or build a new one—not a death sentence.

If you believe Colorado should lead with compassion, science, and coexistence, not bullets, sign and share this petition today. Let’s demand a future where wolves are protected, not punished.