According to a report from The Fence Post, an 84-pound male wolf was found dead in Colorado’s Elbert County, caught in a legal coyote trap and discovered on April 3. The Fence Post reports that the wolf was determined to be from the ‘Great Lakes’ population, not one of the animals that was reintroduced or otherwise collared.

Presumably, the ‘Great Lakes’ population referred to by The Fence Post is the population of about 4,200 wolves in the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. It’s worth noting that this area underwent a recovery process for the species that started in the 1970s with the goal of increasing a dwindling population to at least 1,500 members. Obviously, that goal has been far exceeded.

It’s unclear how a wolf from this area would have made it to Colorado. Whether it traveled the long distance or was brought as a pet or otherwise transported is unknown and under investigation.

Based on mapping from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, wolves that are being tracked have yet to appear in Elbert County, which is located northeast of Colorado Springs.

Find the full report on this story from The Fence post here.

STAY INFORMED: Get free Colorado news with our daily newsletter (Click here)