One question that’s been asked throughout Colorado’s effort to reintroduce the gray wolf to the Centennial State landscape is ‘what happens if a wolf that’s been brought in crosses state lines and leaves Colorado behind?‘ Various incidents that have taken place since December 2023 show how that varies depending on which direction a wolf is headed.

In Wyoming, gray wolves lack many protections, thus may be killed despite being part of Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program if that’s where one of these reintroduced wolves ends up – this happened in March of 2025, when Wyoming wildlife officials killed a wolf that had been brought into Colorado from Canada after it ventured north. As far as Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona go, however, the policy is quite different, with these states having previously committed to returning wolves that head their way.

This policy was put into effect in recent days, when on December 11, a wolf that was captured after leaving Colorado and heading into New Mexico was re-released in Grand County.

“We are grateful to our partners at the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish for their efforts to capture and return a member of Colorado’s gray wolf population,” said Acting CPW Director Laura Clellan. “Gray wolf 2403 has been returned to Colorado and released in a location where it can best contribute to CPW’s efforts to establish a self-sustaining wolf population while concurrently attempting to minimize potential wolf-related livestock conflicts.”

The decision to re-release the wolf into Grand County was based on a number of factors, including local prey populations, distance from livestock, and how an unpaired female gray wolf is known to be in this area.

The wolf that ventured into New Mexico is actually one that was born in Colorado, opposed to being brought here. It was a member of the Copper Creek pack, though it left the pack behind in the fall of 2025.

It’s also worth noting that another factor in New Mexico’s decision to return Colorado’s wolves is that this benefits the genetic integrity of their own Mexican wolf recovery program, taking place in partnership with Arizona. Of 241 Mexican gray wolves involved in this program, 136 reside in New Mexico. The presence of the gray wolf species could impact that effort.

Read more about the movement of Colorado’s wolves and how various neighbors might respond to one of these wolves crossing state lines here.

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